Plastic bullets fired as Derry riots escalate

Posted by Jim on July 13, 2018

A sectarian parade through the city centre of Derry provoked heavy
rioting in Derry last night as youths threw petrol bombs and the PSNI
responded with potentially lethal plastic bullets.

At least two teenagers were injured by the projectiles, including one
teenager who was struck in the throat and had to be rushed to hospital.

Earlier in the day, a sectarian parade by the anti-Catholic Orange Order
passed was forced through the centre of Derry, an overwhelmingly
nationalist city. There was high tension in the city centre as flute
bands played sectarian tunes to cheers from loyalists.

There was no organised protest and the parade had the support of two
main nationalist parties, the Sinn Fein and the SDLP. However, there was
anger as local residents were pushed away from the parade route and kept
corralled behind police barricades.

After dusk, an escalating stream of incidents by nationalist youths saw
more and more petrol bombs thrown in the direction of PSNI Landrovers.
Crowds of up to 200 were reported by 9pm as numbers swelled, and a
burning barricade was set up on the Lecky Road flyover and on Fahan
Street.

The PSNI counted a total of 74 petrol bombs thrown, although few were
seen to hit their target. At least one bounced off a passing civilian
van in an apparent attempt to hijack the vehicle.

The PSNI also said it had fired four “baton rounds” and accused militant
republicans of using the cover of rioting youths to mount attacks. It
claimed two “explosive devices” had been thrown at them in an “attempt
to murder police officers”.

Earlier on Thursday morning, as violence escalated ahead of the Orange
Order parade, the PSNI said shots had been fired towards their position
high on the city walls. On Friday, they said they had also found “crude
but viable” devices in the Bogside nearby. No armed group has claimed
responsibility for the attacks.

Politicians in Derry condemned the violence but notably did not condemn
the PSNI’s use of plastic bullets. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the
riots were “terrifying people in their own homes”.

“These people who are supposedly republicans, who are supposedly trying
to get a United Ireland are destroying their area,” he said.

Sinn Fein’s Elisha McCallion said “sinister elements” were spurring on
the violence.

“People in the Bogside were afraid for their lives last night,” she
said. “This has gone beyond recreational rioting, this is disgraceful
and those involved in it and indeed those behind the scenes stirring up
this type of activity, need to catch themselves on.”

British Direct Ruler Karen Bradley said: “The disorder in Derry last
night, including targeted attacks on police vehicles and others, was
completely unacceptable. These sustained attacks have been widely
condemned and must end.

“My full support goes to the PSNI and others who are working so hard to
end this intolerable violence by a small minority.”

In Belfast, flute bands breached a Parades Commission determination by
playing music outside St Patrick’s Church in Belfast, but other
‘Twelfth’ parades by the Orange Order passed off without incident.