Sinn Fein 'has lost control' in Londonderry as youths attack police with petrol bombs says unionist councillor

The violence on Tuesday night saw petrol bombs, fireworks, and heavy masonry thrown at officers, leaving 14 of them with injuries.

It happened at Nailors Row (also known as Orchard Row), just next to the Fountain estate.

It was the second night in a row that violence had flared at the same spot, and there were multiple arrests - with many of those detained being young teenagers.

The chief constable Jon Boutcher called it "blatant sectarian violence, plain and simple" (though he did not expressly mention that it was republicans behind it).

A day earlier, the PSNI had issued a press release that lumped in Monday night's disorder with racially-motivated disorder that was concentrated in loyalist areas without making it clear it was republicans behind the Londonderry clashes.

Alderman Darren Guy, one of only eight unionist councillors on the 40-seat Derry City and Strabane District Council, said sectarian incidents had been on the rise in the last few months across the city.

He said loyalists in the Waterside had been "goading" republicans, but the majority of the trouble involved republican youths "running amok" and targeting the Fountain Estate.

Flags in the unionist enclave have been taken down and murals defaced, with dissident republicans whipping youths up.

Monday and Tuesday night's rioting was an "escalation" of this, he said.

He also said that many of the calls for disorder have been made via TikTok; he read out one recent republican post that said "need as many heads in the Fountain as possible, for Monday at 4.30pm, getting them out once and for all".

"Basically up here, Sinn Fein have lost control of the young people," he said.

The party's influence has been replaced by that of more militant groups, he said: particularly Saoradh and the IRSP (the political wing of the INLA).

"I've been speaking to Sinn Fein councillors in the Waterside, and they can't even get flags down in their own area anymore when they're putting flags up to support these groups," he said.

"I know people have been calling for young people not to get involved, parents to know where their young people are - which I totally agree with.

"But as well as that, pressure has to be put on these republican groups to basically lay off young people and stop using them as vulnerable kids... to carry out their own dirty work in attacking the police.

"That's basically what it boils down to. They'll deny it... but that's the truth."

Derry IRSP have said: "[We] call on the young people who are currently attacking the Fountain estate and have been doing so the last few days to please desist immediately. As attacks on the Fountain estate are wrong and sectarian and in essence are anti-republican…

"The IRSP have been involved in extensive dialogue over recent days and have been having direct meetings with community representatives from the Fountain estate. We have discouraged any inter-community violence and have played a positive role."

Saoradh said: "The presence of Crown Forces in our communities – often provocative and oppressive – is nothing new. Nor is the existence of sectarian hostility from the direction of the Fountain.

"However, we urge our youth not to engage, react, or be drawn into confrontations with these forces or individuals."

Among those condemning the violence were the SDLP, Sinn Fein, and justice minister Naomi Long who added: “No one deserves to be attacked for the job they do.

“I am committed to introducing stronger legislation to protect police officers and staff as part of my Sentencing Bill which I hope to introduce to the Assembly in the autumn of this year.”

DUP MLA Gary Middleton said: "This is a blatant attempt to heighten tensions in an interface area and to draw the PSNI in for attack. These acts of violence serve no purpose other than causing harm to our communities.”

A PSNI spokesperson said police discharged one baton round during the disturbances, striking a rioter running towards the police line with lit petrol bombs, who has since been arrested.

Eleven arrests were made, eight male teenagers aged between 14 and 17 and three men aged, 29, 30 and 47 years old.

Each of the teenagers and two of the males, aged 29 and 30, were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour.

The 47-year-old was arrested on suspicion of intentionally encouraging or assisting riot.

The PSNI said calm was restored to the area at around 1am after several hours.

Mr Boutcher said: "This behaviour is shameful and will have been terrifying for residents, I am aware of older residents living in the immediate area who were massively traumatised by this disorder.

“I appeal to all our political representatives and anyone with influence in the area to stand up and condemn and stop this mindless violence. “I will be seeking the strongest custodial sentences for those involved in the recent disorder across Northern Ireland.

“There is no place for this in society and there must be the harshest consequences.”