An incident during the Twelfth Parade in Holyland — an Ulster Protestant celebration in Belfast, Northern Ireland — has gone viral after a spectator picked up the garbage can from his front yard and threw it at a drummer in what appears to be the Bangor Protestant Boys Band as they marched down the street.
The entire band suddenly rushed the perpetrator, who then ran inside his home. But band members seemingly won the fight when they picked up a large trash can on the man’s property and threw it at — and smashed — his front window.
Two police officers jumped in and attempted to defuse the situation, which was captured in a 40-second clip on Twitter that has been viewed more than 12 million times.
Members of Orange Order — an international Protestant fraternal group based in North Ireland — also waved the band members back to their places, according to a report on Belfast Live.
The 46-year-old thrower was arrested for the incident.
Officials arrested the 46-year-old man who started the encounter on various charges, including assault and disorderly behavior, reported Belfast Live.
The motivation for the incident may stem from a longtime feud between religious groups.
“It was the Battle of the Boyne yesterday. A Protestant celebration of defeating the Catholic Jacobite Army on the 12th July 1690,” one user said. “This is an Orange walk, and guy was clearly against it. Being a non-devout Christian, I know there’s tension between Catholics and Protestants in NI.”
“The march are called the orange brigade, they are pro English loyalist prodistants. The guy throwing the bun is a stout Catholic pro-Irishman,” another user added. “The hatred between the two groups are legendary.”
Officials are reportedly investigating other participants.
