On 12 July 2001, major rioting and civil disorder broke out in Ardoyne, north Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Police were attacked when trying clear the path for about 100 Orangemen returning from the parade to go along a main road passing the Catholic Ardoyne area.
Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan strongly rejected calls from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) to halt its use in riots.
Nationalist politicians see the ban on plastic bullets as a vital reform to make Catholics trust the police force more.
"[5] A few days later another riot involved petrol bombs and acid being thrown by loyalists at police in north and west Belfast.