Protest against dissidents after car bomb attack

A car bomb exploded on Saturday night outside the city court house on Bishop Street and on Monday there were three security alerts sparked by the hijacking of vehicles by masked men.

The PSNI believe the dissident republican grouping known as the New IRA were behind both the bomb attack and the hijackings.

Services were withdrawn from several areas in Londonderry’s mostly nationalist Cityside, as both the Royal Mail an the Northern Ireland Housing Executive decided against sending vans into areas where the hijackings had occurred.

But transport, post and housing maintenance services have now been restored following a meeting of the ‘Unity of Purpose’ group, which brings together business leaders, community representatives and statutory agencies.

Tomorrow’s rally, organised by trade union NIPSA, is due to take place at 1pm at the ‘Peace Garden’ at Foyle Street, adjacent to the Guildhall in the city centre.

NIPSA president Patrick Mulholland said: “Those who carried out Saturday’s bombing in Derry aim to drag us back into futile conflict and bloodshed.

“Their actions achieve nothing but whipping up sectarian tension and potentially legitimising attacks on democratic rights.

“The bombing put the lives of ordinary people at risk, including NIPSA members.

“The trade union movement — representing workers from all backgrounds — has a proud tradition of standing up against sectarian forces from all sides, especially when workers are under threat.”

He added: “We’ve called this protest to allow working people to send a clear message to these groups — no going back!”

Meanwhile, a republican party known as Saoradh, who are viewed as close in thinking to those believed to be behind the bombing at the weekend, denied having any links to the IRA.

But a spokesperson for the group said: “As long as imperialism remains the dominant power there will be women and men willing to engage in revolutionary armed struggle.”

In response to questions from the Derry Journal newspaper, Saoradh also insisted that a statement it had issued in the minutes following the bombing — linking the attack to the Soloheadbeg ambush in Co Tipperary that commenced the Irish War of Independence on January 21, 1919 — was coincidental.