Belfast Telegraph  |   Sunday Life  |  Ireland's Saturday Night  |  Business Telegraph  |  Jobfinder  |  Homefinder
 Belfast Telegraph
 News
Business
Business Telegraph
Features
Letters
Telegraph
    Columnists

Opinion
Northwest Edition
Northwest Weekly
Education
Interactive Letters
Weather
Personals
Media Pack
 Sport
Football
Premiership
Rugby
Gaelic Games
General
 Lifestyle
Arts
Film & TV
Food & Drink
Music
Health & Beauty
Motoring
Travel
Telegraph Travel
Special Interest
Twentyfourseven
 Homefinder
Property News
Property Features
 Sunday Life
 Ireland's
 Saturday Night

 Top 100 Companies
 Home Delivery
 Online Archive
 Calendar 2005
 Ads For Free
 Rugby World Cup
 At The Movies
 Euro2004
Latest News
Results
Profiles
Match Analysis
Factfile

 

Belfast Telegraph Home > News > Northwest Edition

300 youths riot in Derry city centre
Sectarian gangs in orgy of violence

By Paddy McGuffin

19 September 2005

Parents 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
 
SiteSearch


Terms & conditions | Privacy policy | Advertise online | Advertise in print | Contact us |
© 2005 Independent News and Media (NI)
a division of Independent News & media (UK) Ltd