March 23rd 2026

Recently in Derry sectarian fights have been organised on social media between gangs of young people. On February 22nd a Protestant boy aged sixteen was attacked by up to 20 youths in the Shipquay Place area of the city centre and was left with a broken nose. Of course, this kind of behaviour is not just confined to Derry. For example, last November a group of youths wearing balaclavas shouted sectarian abuse at a young person taking part in a cross-community project in Glengormley, and in recent weeks police have issued a warning amid reports of young people in Dunmurry meeting for "arranged fights" in the evenings.

With the holidays approaching the situation will become worse There was a serious sectarian attack on young Protestants on Foyle Street who were going home, and up to forty loyalist youth attempted to enter a predominantly Catholic estate and were stopped by the PSNI. There are ongoing threats to individuals and properties on social media. All of these will escalate on the run-up to parades and bonfires. There can be no justification for any of these actions.

All civic, political, and community leaders must organise a collective response to these actions and the Workers Party will play its part. The Workers Party is calling on all statutory agencies to put all the necessary resources required to deal with these outbreaks of orchestrated violence. The people of Derry have and are suffering enough problems without having the spectre of sectarian street violence once again rearing its ugly head.

Parents should not have to return to the days when they worried about their children getting home safely. They should not have to worry about family members who may live in these areas that come under attack. The other most worrying aspect of this behaviour is that sectarianism is still a feature and keeps bubbling to the surface at the least opportunity.

There must be an end to these attacks and prearranged fights, and an immediate reversal of any cuts to youth work and street schemes that can play a significant role in countering this trend of violence. The nettle of sectarianism must be grasped and dealt with not by abstract words of condemnation but by determined leadership from our political institutions.