(15 Mar 1995) English/Nat
Rioting Protestant prisoners Tuesday injured more than 50 officers after wrecking part of the top-security Maze prison in Northern Ireland.
Prison officers were finally able to regain control of the prison Tuesday night after nearly ten hours of rioting.
They blame the disturbances on extra privileges given to inmates to prevent unrest after the recent ceasefires in the province.
At least one fire was lit as prisoners destroyed property and climbed onto the roof in their section of the top security Maze prison near Lisburn, County Antrim.
More than 150 men from the Protestant guerilla group the Ulster Volunteer Force , many of them serving life sentences for sectarian murder, were involved in the violence.
Three officers were reportedly beaten on the head with iron bars when they clashed with prisoners after searching for drugs.
The officers blamed the riot on authorities giving the prisoners too many concessions which resulted in staff losing control behind the prison walls. Extra privileges were given after both Republican and Protestant paramilitary groups, who had conducted a terror campaign in the province, agreed to a ceasefire.
According to officials at the Northern Ireland Office the disturbances ended at around eight pm (GMT) Tuesday evening.
A spokesman said all prisoners had been secured within their
wings and staff had taken control.
Its the latest in a series of riots to hit Northern Ireland's jails.
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