Children as young as 12 involved in new night of violence in Northern Ireland
The PSNI moving a bin which was set alight on North Road in Carrickfergus near Belfast following sporadic outbursts of disorder. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA Wire
Children as young as 12 were involved as violence flared during another night of disorder in parts of Northern Ireland, and officers were pelted with petrol bombs, police said.
Petrol bombs and bricks were thrown at officers in loyalist areas in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus on Sunday night.
It was the second night in a row that trouble broke out at the Cloughfern roundabout in Newtownabbey on the outskirts of Belfast, although the violence was not as prolonged as on Saturday night.
There was also disorder in the North Road area of nearby Carrickfergus on Sunday night.
Derry City and Strabane Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Darrin Jones, said: âLast night we saw further disorder on our streets in the Waterside area, which started shortly after 9pm. Again, we saw our officers targeted, pelted with petrol bombs and masonry in the Dungiven Road area where pallets were placed on the road and set alight. This saw the main road closed for a time, causing disruption for local drivers.
âThankfully, last night none of our officers were injured as they worked to bring the disorder to an end.
âI will reiterate our disappointment that we had another night of senseless and reckless criminal behaviour that achieves nothing but causes damage to the community. It is also shocking that some of those involved in last nightâs disorder were children, some as young as 12 years old along with others up to 18 years old and a mix of male and females.âÂ
Derry City and Strabane Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Darrin Jones, said: âLast night we saw further disorder on our streets in the Waterside area, which started shortly after 9pm. Again, we saw our officers targeted, pelted with petrol bombs and masonry in the Dungiven Road area where pallets were placed on the road and set alight. This saw the main road closed for a time, causing disruption for local drivers.
âThankfully, last night none of our officers were injured as they worked to bring the disorder to an end.
âI will reiterate our disappointment that we had another night of senseless and reckless criminal behaviour that achieves nothing but causes damage to the community. It is also shocking that some of those involved in last nightâs disorder were children, some as young as 12 years old along with others up to 18 years old and a mix of male and females.âÂ
On Saturday, 30 petrol bombs were thrown at officers in Newtownabbey in what police described as an âorchestrated attackâ.
On Friday, there were violent scenes in the Sandy Row area of Belfast as well.
While in Derry, police have been subjected to sustained attacks across several nights in the last week in loyalist areas of the Waterside part of the city.
Some 27 police officers were injured on Friday night across Belfast and Derry.
Mr Jones added: âIt is totally unacceptable, and it is crucial we send out a message to those responsible that such behaviour cannot be tolerated.
âPeople deserve to feel safe within their own homes and be able to walk the streets without fear.
âI am again asking all those in our community with influence to use that influence so we do not see any further disgraceful scenes of violence on our streets and ensure young people do not get caught up in criminality and that they are kept safe and away from harm.
âMy job is to keep people safe and I will continue to work alongside local representatives, partner agencies and members of the community to address any issues. I would appeal to everyone in the area to help defuse any local tensions and prevent any further incidents.â
Tensions have soared within the loyalist community in recent months over post-Brexit trading arrangements which have been claimed to have created barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
Anger ramped up further last week following a controversial decision not to prosecute 24 Sinn Fein politicians for attending a large-scale republican funeral during Covid-19 restrictions.
All the main unionist parties have demanded the resignation of PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne, claiming he has lost the confidence of their community.
Meanwhile in Co Antrim, a recent series of drug seizures against the South East Antrim UDA â a renegade faction of the main grouping â have caused particular ill-feeling towards police.
The faction is believed to have been behind some of the weekend disturbances.
Earlier on Sunday, the PSNIâs North Area Commander Chief Superintendent Davy Beck said 30 petrol bombs were thrown at officers and three cars set alight in Newtownabbey on Saturday.
Mr Beck said it was an âorchestrated attack on policeâ.
âWe are living in unprecedented times, dealing with a global pandemic, no-one needs the added pressure of disorder in their community,â he said.
âI would appeal to those who are taking to the streets to stop immediately, their actions are causing nothing but harm and distress to the very communities they claim they are representing.âÂ
On Sunday evening the PSNI announced that a 47-year-old man has been charged in connection with rioting, and throwing a petrol bomb in Newtownabbey on Saturday.
He is due to appear at Belfast Magistratesâ Court on Monday April 26.
Seven people had already been charged after the disturbances in the Sandy Row area, with four adults â three men aged 25, 21 and 18 years old, and a woman aged 19 â have been charged with riot.
All four are due to appear at Belfast Magistratesâ Court on April 30.
Three teenagers, aged 17, 14 and 13, have also been charged with riot and are due to appear at Belfast Youth Court on April 30.
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