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Belfast Telegraph Home > News > Northwest Edition Sectarian gangs in orgy of violence By Paddy McGuffin 19 September 2005Parents were today blamed as sectarian gangs of youths sparked scenes of widespread violence in Londonderry city centre over the weekend. Shops were forced to pull down the shutters as rival groups rampaged through the city's busiest shopping area. The violence led to calls today for a dedicated city centre police unit in Londonderry amid warnings that traders will suffer unless the problem is nipped in the bud. Today's calls came as city centre businesses were counting the costs of sectarian clashes that took place in the Ferryquay Street and Market Street areas on Saturday afternoon. Riot police were brought in and four youths were arrested as a result of the violence which forced several businesses to close their doors. Up to 300 youths, many of them girls, according to a local councillor who was in the city centre when the trouble erupted, hurled bricks and bottles in an orgy of violence. Saturday's disturbances also followed trouble between gangs in the same area the previous week. Councillors and business leaders today challenged parents to take responsibility for knowing what their children were doing. Stephen Kelly, manager of the City Centre Initiative said trade would be severely affected if such incidents continued. "People like to shop in a clean, safe environment," he said. "If this type of activity is allowed to continue people will stay away. "We have been asking the PSNI to have a permanent city centre presence. Other cities have dedicated city centre police sectors. We have CCTV and 60 shops linked by radio but we need a swift and active response. "Those carrying out these attacks are young kids whose parents seem to be abdicating their parental responsibility. We know they seem to start around 2pm to 3pm and are over by five when they leave by bus. Why aren't their parents asking; 'Where were you during that time?'." Councillor Helen Quigley said today that parents must shoulder responsibility. She added: "The question that must be asked is what are these young people doing there? Do their parents know, and why not if they don't? "There seemed to be a lot of young girls involved in the fights which is disturbing." A police spokesman said today that four juveniles had been arrested during the disturbances and were released pending reports. Councillor Quigley also called on schools to address the issue of sectarian violence. She said: "The entire community has responsibility to address this issue. "I would personally like to see schools become involved and set aside time at assembly to deal with this issue." The clashes come against a background of growing sectarian tension at interfaces throughout Derry. There have also been a series of incidents at the nearby Fountain interface with Bishop Street. Last week, residents of the Bogside held a meeting at which 100 volunteers agreed to help monitor the area and to try to prevent young people from hurling petrol bombs and bricks over the peace wall. As the initiative got underway on Friday night, however, loyalists threw a blast bomb from the Fountain into the Bennet Street area. Back | Return to top | Printable Story |
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