There has been a strong appeal for “calm” in Derry after a string of violent incidents, now officially being treated as sectarian hate crimes by the PSNI. Violence first broke out in the Waterside area on the evening of Saturday, 26 April, and spilled into the following day, causing widespread concern across the city.
Police confirmed that around 6.30pm on Saturday, three young men were chased by a gang of approximately ten youths who hurled sectarian abuse at them.
“The three males being chased sought refuge in the back garden of a property in Caw Close,” the PSNI stated. “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.
Tensions remained high on Sunday afternoon when officers responded to reports of an arranged fight in the Waterside.
“A large number of individuals, mostly youths, some of whom were masked, were observed arriving into the Irish Street area,” police said.
From around 5pm, violence escalated. Bricks, bottles and fireworks were hurled between rival groups and at police officers. Vehicles were not spared, with a bus and another vehicle suffering damage.
Two police vehicles were also attacked. The bus, ferrying passengers through the area, had its windows smashed, leaving those on board shaken. “One passenger, a teenage boy, was covered in glass,” police confirmed.
The violence continued into the night. Around 8.40pm, a mural in The Fountain Estate was targeted with paint bombs. Later, at approximately 10.50pm, a police vehicle carrying two police dogs was damaged when youths threw objects at it in the Irish Street area.
Further damage was reported at 11.35pm when a private vehicle was attacked while travelling through The Fountain Estate.
“It was close to midnight when calm returned to the area,” the PSNI confirmed. Chief Inspector Luke Moyne stated, “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.”
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan urged the community to remain peaceful, warning that the situation in the Waterside has been volatile 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.
Highlighting the attack on a bus returning from a cross-community football tournament in Omagh, Mr Durkan added, “This must have been 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.”
The PSNI has confirmed that the assault, the attack on the bus, and the criminal damage to the mural are all being treated as sectarian hate crimes.
Investigations are ongoing. Authorities are urging anyone with information or relevant footage, including dash cam recordings, to come forward by contacting 101 and quoting reference 989 27/04/25.
The latest outbreaks of violence serve as a stark reminder of the fragile peace that still hangs over parts of Derry.
Community leaders and police alike are calling for calm heads and cooperation to prevent further harm. The hope now is that those responsible will be swiftly brought to justice before tensions escalate any further.
