A NYTimes analysis of the recent Troubles

The violence was largely unexpected, since the Irish Republican Army, the larger Catholic enemy of the Protestant paramilitary groups, in July announced an end to its 36-year armed campaign to drive Britain out of Northern Ireland, prompting Prime Minister Tony Blair to declare a new era of peace.

But many people said the clashes were the result of a more significant rift between the British government and Protestants, who are in the majority here. Britain wants to restart the local legislature set up by the 1998 peace accord to share power between Catholic and Protestant parties, but the rioting shows how resistant Protestants are to the idea.