Teen gangs use Bebo to push violent fantasies

LIMERICK’S teenage gangs are using the Bebo social networking website to live out their fantasies of becoming gun-touting crime lords.

The rival youngsters pledge their allegiances to either side of the violent family feud which has marred the city’s image for the past decade.

They borrow paraphernalia from America’s deadly gangster icons and their sites are adorned with pictures of rap stars, modified cars, weapons and drugs.

The number of people involved is relatively small, with only a handful of teenagers adding comments through a network of Bebo sites.

They are divided into two groups and claim to represent the different gangs from Weston, Moyross and the Island Field.

Their threats are personal, deliberately provocative and written in the language associated with America’s black “gangsta” culture.

“Island Field gommies listen and I tell ye muppets, were killers and we don’t mind going to hell, and ye’re afraid of jail fools,” one post, directed at the Island Field gang, read.

At the same time, a response appeared on a site run by one of the Weston-based youngsters.

“Ur all f***kin’ dead, ye f***kin’ Gomies. Wait until I cetch one of yew f***kin’ faggit’s, swear mothers life, bang bang cuz, yup yup 7Up, we run this City,” it said.

Pictures and film footage of those murdered during the feud are run on a loop with comments lauding them as heroes or villains, depending on which side posts the message.

Some of the people involved openly identify themselves with pictures which appear to have been taken by computers in the same internet café.

Local councillor Noreen Ryan has called for the offending sites to be shut down.

“Teenagers are being encouraged to take sides in the ongoing feuds in the city. One Bebo site, Westongangsters, is openly provocative and carries pictures of weapons used in gang shootings.

“This is nothing short of glorifying violence and gun crime in Limerick and Bebo should now take steps to curb it. Senior gardaí dealing with crime in Limerick tell me that some gang members are due for release from prison within the next week and they fear that the situation could be inflamed by these pages.”

Yesterday, gardaí at Limerick’s Roxboro Road station would not make any comment on the websites or confirm if any complaints had been made.

A misspelt posting attributed to a garda detective has been posted on sites belonging to both gangs. It said any site which continues to use threatening language would be shut-down.

Bebo said it would speak on the issue later today.