THERE has been a call for “calm” in Derry following a series of incidents which police are treating as sectarian hate crimes.
Violence and disorder erupted in the Waterside area of the city on the evening of Saturday, April 26 and continued into the following day, the PSNI has confirmed.
At around 6.30pm on April 26 three young men were chased by a gang of 10 youths who are reported to have shouted sectarian comments at them.
“The three males being chased sought refuge in the back garden of a property in Caw Close,” the PSNI confirmed.
“It’s reported their attackers jumped over a wall and used garden furniture to launch an assault, but the three victims managed to get away,” they added.
The following afternoon (April 27), police were called to reports of an arranged fight in the Waterside aera.
“A large number of individuals, mostly youths – some of whom were masked – were observed arriving into the Irish Street area,” they explained.
“From around 5pm, bricks, bottles and fireworks were thrown by and at youths, and at police.
“A bus and one vehicle was damaged with bricks while transiting through the area. Two police vehicles were also damaged.
“The bus had windows broken, leaving passengers and the driver badly shaken.
“One passenger, a teenage boy, was covered in glass.”
At around 8.40pm that evening a mural in The Fountain Estate had paint bombs thrown at it, while at around 10.50pm a police vehicle carrying two police dogs was damaged in the Irish Street area by youths who threw objects at it.
Another vehicle belonging to a member of the public was reported to have been damaged while travelling through The Fountain Estate area at 11.35pm.
“It was close to midnight when calm returned to the area,” the PSNI confirmed.
“At this stage, as enquiries into each of these incidents are ongoing, we are continuing to work with relevant partners and stakeholders, focusing our patrols where they are needed and taking positive action where we can,” the PSNI’s Chief Inspector Luke Moyne said.
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan has called for “calm” following the disorder, claiming the incidents have “the potential to light the fuse on a situation that has been simmering in the Waterside for some time”.
“It is important that peace prevails and no retaliation is sought, inevitably innocent people will get hurt or even worse,” he said.
“We also saw an attack on a bus returning from a cross-community and cross-cultural football tournament in Omagh, with passengers injured by broken glass.
“This must have an incredibly frightening incident and this senseless violence must cease before anyone else is hurt.
“I hope [those] who were attacked make a swift recovery from their physical injuries and the undoubted psychological impact that such trauma can bring.
“Anyone with information about the attack should bring it to the police and those responsible must be apprehended.”
Police have confirmed they are treating the incidents, including attacks on young people, as sectarian hate crimes.
Enquiries into all of the incidents are ongoing, the police force has confirmed.
“Specifically, the assault, the attack on the bus and the criminal damage caused to the mural are each being treated as sectarian hate crimes,” they added.
Anyone who has information, witnessed the incidents or has relevant footage, including dash cam, has been urged to contact 101, quoting reference 989 27/04/25.