Three officers hurt and 13-year-old arrested after police pelted with fireworks and masonry in Derry
A crowd had gathered in the Orchard Row area of the city before police were attacked.
The gathering was organised over social media on Monday night.
It's understood that several attempts were made to attack homes in the Fountain Estate before police intervened.
Videos posted to social media show crowds of youths shooting fireworks at officers in riot gear.
In an update this afternoon, police confirmed two arrests have been made.
A spokesperson added: 'A second arrest has been made today, 17 June, by police in Derry/Londonderry in connection with disorder in the Nailors Row area of the city last night, 16 June.
'A 13-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour, and has since been released on bail to allow for further police enquiries to be conducted.'
Derek Moore of the North West Cultural Partnership, which is based in the Fountain, said issues have been ongoing for six to eight weeks.
Meetings have been held with the PSNI, he said, with pressure applied on them and individuals with influence in the Bogside to engage with the young people responsible.
It appears to have continued since April, when two Catholic boys were attacked in the Nelson Drive area of the Waterside.
At the time that sparked what police described as tit-for-tat "sectarian hate crimes", including a paint bomb attack on a mural in the Fountain estate.
Mr Moore said the attacks in recent weeks have been 'low level but constant'.
Youths in the Bogside have gathered a large amount of bonfire material at Meenan Square, a short distance from the Fountain.
They congregate at the site and Mr Moore said this has then led to youths moving towards the Fountain or gathering on the Derry Walls which overlook the Fountain.
The PSNI has been made aware of ongoing incidents but Mr Moore said the police service has been reluctant to act until now.
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan condemned the disorder. He said that three police officers were injured after disturbances in the vicinity of the city's walls.
'It's really disheartening that we have seen a number of disturbances in our city in recent days,' he said.
"In this latest incident at Nailor's Row we have seen three police officers injured and my thoughts are with them and I hope they make a quick and full recovery. Police were struck with masonry and fireworks and were lucky to escape even more serious injuries.
'I would urge the people involved in these incidents to stop terrorising their own community. We have seen anti-social behaviour involving young people in this area in the past and those involved are risking a criminal record and their own future in the process.
'I'm also concerned at how social media is being used to promote this activity, turning dangerous incidents into entertainment and encouraging others to join in. As we approach the summer holidays I would encourage parents to make sure they know what their young people are up to and to warn them of the dangers of engaging in this kind of activity.
'Last week we rightly condemned scenes emanating from elsewhere of rioting and the attacking of people and property. The same applies here and now.'
A PSNI spokesperson said: 'We are continuing to engage with local representatives and community groups to address reports of anti-social and criminal behaviour in light of incidents reported in the area recently, which have included criminal damage caused to a vehicle in the area on 27th April, and a report of bottles thrown in the area of Bishop Street on 8th May.
'Our neighbourhood team will continue to engage with relevant partners, focusing patrols where they are needed and taking positive action where they can.
'In the meantime, I encourage the community to continue to report crimes or incidents that impact on their quality of life on 101, or 999 in an emergency.
"I would also remind anyone who engages in anti-social behaviour of the dangers of getting involved in this type of behaviour and urge them to consider the consequences of their actions. Ultimately, they could end up with a criminal record which may impact their future employment and travel prospects.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
36 minutes ago
- BBC News
Londonderry: Police say union flag theft was sectarian hate crime
An investigation is underway into the theft of a union flag which was being flown at a civil service building in Londonderry to mark Queen Camilla's News NI understands an Irish tricolour was erected in its Department for Communities said it was aware of the "unauthorised" removal of the union flag from its offices in Lisahally on 17 Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it was being treated as a "sectarian hate crime". Under legislation, the union flag is flown from government buildings in Northern Ireland on designated days each was being flown from the civil service building at Lisahally to mark the 78th birthday of Queen Camilla on 17 department did not confirm that the Irish flag was erected on the flagpole. But BBC News NI has spoken to workers who say this was the PSNI said the theft of the union flag was reported to them last Thursday afternoon and they have appealed for anyone with information to come forward. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) described the removal of the union flag and its replacement with the Irish tricolour as "an idiotic act"."Such silly attention-seeking behaviour is disrespectful and totally unacceptable," Foyle MLA Gary Middleton said. "Those involved should be dealt with by the law."Ulster Unionist councillor Darren Guy said those responsible were fuelled by "hate and sectarianism"."Over the past few weeks, we have had acts of theft and vandalism occur throughout the city and district," he said."Soldier statues beheaded at a memorial in Artigarvan; a historical US flag stolen from Foyle College; poppy wreaths had to be removed immediately after being laid in remembrance of the Battle of the Somme - the one left was stolen that night and countless attacks on Protestant homes in The Fountain [a mainly unionist estate]."Guy criticised the SDLP and Sinn Féin over their response to similar incidents."Yet, these actions fuelled by hate and sectarianism continue, unchallenged, from their own elected representatives," he said."If this is acceptable now, then it's not surprising that unionists will never want to be part of the pipe dream that is a united Ireland."But the criticism was rejected by Sinn Féin and the Féin said it had been "unequivocal, consistent and vocal" in asserting that all cultures must be respected."All and every incident of hate crime must be called out," a spokesperson said."In stark contrast we have seen the selective approach and double standards of unionist politicians in response to illegal bonfires and hate crimes." SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan said the incidents were damaging community relations."The SDLP has always called urged tolerance around these issues and condemn those who engage in any attacks, sectarianism or intimidation," he said."I would urge anyone involved in this kind of activity to stop, they are achieving nothing but hurting their own city."
BBC News
16 hours ago
- BBC News
Fermanagh murders: Victim was 'devoted mum to Sara and James'
A woman who was fatally shot alongside her two teenage children in County Fermanagh was a "devoted mum" and a "really lovely person", colleagues have said. Vanessa Whyte, who was 45, was killed in a gun attack at a house in Maguiresbridge on Wednesday morning. Her 13-year-old daughter, Sara Rutledge, and her 14-year old son, James Rutledge, also died as a result of the shooting.A man from the same household who sustained gunshot wounds at the scene remains seriously injured in hospital in Belfast. On Wednesday, police said that a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide was "one line of inquiry" for Whyte was an experienced veterinary surgeon who was originally from Barefield, County Clare, in the Republic of the time of her death she was employed by Stormont's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera).But before taking that role, the mother-of-two spent about eight years working at Lakeland Vets in Derrygonnelly, County Fermanagh."Vanessa was lovely. She was just such an enthusiastic, hard-working colleague," said its practice manager, Julie Wood."She was a devoted mum to Sara and James. I used to love chatting her about them."She was always full of what they were doing - they were doing so well in school. "They were so sporty and yeah, she was just devoted to them. It's just heartbreaking" Ms Wood told BBC News NI. Both children attended Enniskillen Royal Grammar School and were members of local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) teams and Enniskillen Cricket Club. 'Full of life and full of enthusiasm' Another of Ms Whyte's former colleagues at Lakeland Vets said she had a "great personality" and was "very friendly and down to earth"."Vanessa joined our practice in 2005," said principal vet Innes Redmond. "She was incredibly talented, hard-working, well respected by our local farming community and pet owners."His colleague Ms Wood added: "She just had a great vibe off her - full of life I would have said, and full of enthusiasm."I just can't believe it [that] she's not here anymore. It's very hard to put into words, to be honest." Grandmother 'broken hearted' over deaths Ms Whyte's family in County Clare have been "shattered" by the murders, according to their local parish priest in Barefield."It's been a terrible tragedy - a senseless tragedy," Fr Tom Fitzpatrick told Irish broadcaster RTÉ.He explained that Ms Whyte's widowed mother Mary is a Eucharist minister in his parish and a "very devout woman" who visits Barefield's church almost every day."When I talked to her this morning, she was broken-hearted," the priest said. He said Mary Whyte had been visiting Knock Catholic shrine in County Mayo on the day of the murders and she was given the news by her son when she returned home. "The shockwaves that have gone through the parish have been palpable and felt by everybody," he said. Fr Fitzpatrick added that, even though the sun was shining in Barefield on Thursday, "a cloud of darkness has descended upon the place here". Shortly after responding to the shootings at a house on Drummeer Road, the PSNI began a murder investigation.A police cordon was still in place on Thursday and mourners have been leaving flowers and sympathy messages close by. Among them was Maguiresbridge resident Josephine Faulkner, who told BBC News NI the village is in "pure shock" over the killings."This is so sad for all of the family and neighbours," she said."She was so young, and the two little angels."The PSNI were alerted to the scene by an emergency call from inside the house on Wednesday and officers and paramedics were confronted with a "harrowing scene"."Everyone needs prayers at this time, including the police and ambulance workers." Ms Faulkner said. "I don't know how the services do it, I pray for them every night." 'Our community is devastated' The Reverend Lindsey Farrell, from the Church of Ireland's Clogher Diocese, said the three deaths had caused great upset among parishioners in the area."As a community, we're devastated. We're numb, everyone is in shock," she said. "But this is a strong community here in Maguiresbridge and we stand united. "We stand together in support of this family and of all who have been impacted by this and we are keeping them all in our prayers."
Graziadaily
16 hours ago
- Graziadaily
Who Is Brigitte Macron And Why Is She Suing Candace Owens?
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, and his wife Brigitte Macron have filed a defamation lawsuit against the right-wing influencer Candace Owens, after she claimed that the first lady was born a man. The legal action was filed on Wednesday in Delaware in the US, and said that Owens has been sharing 'outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions' to help grow her audience and make her money. The pair said the claims caused 'pain to us and our families'. Owens has repeated the claims on her podcast and on social media channels. If you've got questions, we'll try our best to answer them... The commentator has repeatedly shared claims that Ms Macron was born a man, and after saying in 2024 she would 'stake [her] entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man', released an eight-part podcast series called Becoming Brigitte, the lawsuit alleges. The suit also alleges that the Macrons asked for retractions, but instead she 'mocked them and used them as additional fodder for her frenzied fan base'. In a statement, the couple said, 'Ms Owens' campaign of defamation was plainly designed to harass and cause pain to us and our families and to garner attention and notoriety.' The BBC reports that the claim that Brigitte Macron was born a man has existed online in fringe circles for years, claiming she went by Jean-Michel Trogneux, which is her brother's name. Owens spread this conspiracy to her nearly seven million followers on X. Brigitte Macron is a former French teacher and the first lady of France. She married Emmanuel Macron in 2007, after meeting him at a high school (Le Providence, a Catholic school in northern France) when he was a student and she was a teacher. They have a 25-year age gap. She was a 39-year-old drama teacher at the time and he was 15. When his parents found out the following year that they had begun a relationship, they sent him away to boarding school. 'Emmanuel had to leave for Paris,' she told Paris Match . 'I told myself that he would fall in love with someone his [own] age. It didn't happen.' While they kept in touch over the years, Brigitte was married to someone else with whom she had three children around Macron's age. Speaking on their age gap, she told France's RTL radio station, 'We are not a model couple. Of course we are not the ideal couple. Being a couple is complicated, it's an everyday struggle (...) When you have a big age difference, it can be even more complicated.' The pair made headlines earlier this year when a video went viral showing Brigitte appearing to slap the president in the face. According to ABC News, Macron played down the incident, saying, 'We are bickering and joking with my wife and a video becomes a sort of geoplanetary catastrophe.' Candace Owens is a right-wing commentator known for working at Turning Point, a student conservative publication, and conservative media outlet Daily Wire before launching her own podcast in 2024. She's been embroiled in multiple controversies including criticisms of Black Lives Matter and spreading conspiracies including that the moon landing was faked. She is married to George Farmer, a British-American entrepreneur. His father is a House of Lords peer and former Conservative Party treasurer, Baron Michael Farmer.
