It was fought between the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), and Ulster loyalists in the area around St Matthew's Roman Catholic church.

[1][10] On Saturday 27 June 1970, a large march by the Orange Order took place in west Belfast, which was joined by loyalist bands from other parts of the city.

Missiles were thrown by both sides, a bakery was set ablaze, and the British Army fired CS gas to disperse crowds.

[12] In north Belfast, another Orange march went along the Crumlin Road, the boundary between the Catholic Ardoyne and the Protestant Shankill areas.

As the riot descended into a gun battle, the IRA—who according to Gerry Adams were "ready and waiting"—killed three Protestants: William Kincaid (28), Daniel Loughins (32) and Alexander Gould (18).

[12] Earlier in the month, British troops had diverted an Orange march away from Ardoyne, leading to serious rioting by Protestants in the Shankill.

At the bottom of the road is the Catholic enclave of the Short Strand, and here there would be a gun battle between the IRA and Protestants, though the cause of it was disputed by both sides.

[14] As the situation worsened, Catholic residents feared that the gathering crowds of loyalists would attempt to invade the Short Strand and burn them from their homes.

A young resident, Jim Gibney, recalled: "I saw neighbours, people I knew, coming down the street carrying rifles.

[1] Across the River Lagan, in the Markets area, other IRA members assembled and prepared to reinforce the Short Strand should it be invaded.

[15] British soldiers eventually arrived in armoured vehicles and cordoned off the roads around the Short Strand, which denied the IRA "any hope of reinforcement".

[17] At the time, the British Army said that its soldiers fired no shots because "owing to the confused situation, it was impossible to identify targets".

[1][19] Journalist Tony Geraghty wrote that sometimes "The gunfire eased long enough to allow an occasional British Army personnel carrier (a 'Pig') to whine past, illuminated by the flames in a token gesture of law-and-order".

[1]Liz Maskey, who was a volunteer nurse that night, said that the Short Strand was surrounded by loyalists and claimed they attacked her ambulance as it tried to leave the area.

[9] Less than a week later, the British Army seized a large haul of Official IRA weapons during a three-day operation in west Belfast.