Bishop Andrew Forster has joined his Roman Catholic counterpart, Dr Donal McKeown, in calling for an end to a recent spate of sectarian attacks in Londonderry.
The PSNI are investigating a series of incidents including an assault on three young men in the city’s Nelson Drive area, an organised fight in the Waterside, an attack on a busload of young people returning to the city, and a paint attack on a mural in the Fountain estate.
During one of the incidents, which all took place over last weekend, police officers were attacked by youths throwing bricks, bottles and fireworks, while a vehicle carrying two police dogs was also targeted.
The two bishops have condemned the incidents and appealed for no escalation. Bishop Andrew warned that the violence could have serious implications for those responsible, as well as their victims.
“This could have life-changing consequences,” he told Highland Radio. “If you pick up a criminal record at 18-19 years old, you’re not going to be able to travel as much, your job opportunities narrow down, this has huge consequences, let alone it’s putting people’s safety at risk. All it takes is for one stone to hit somebody in the head and it could be murder; for one firebomb to ignite a bus and you have multiple deaths, multiple injuries. This is how serious this is.”
Bishop Andrew has urged young people to be careful how they respond to things they see online. “A lot of it, from what I understand, is being whipped up through social media,” he told the BBC, “and a few seconds on social media can ultimately destroy lives. It can also destroy the lives of the people who are posting the stuff as well.”
“This city has come through an awful lot of pain in the past,” he said. “We have built a much more inclusive, warm and friendly place and I want everyone to feel part of that, no matter what part of the community they belong to. This is something that all of us can play a part in and seek to have a more positive, better future for a place where we all love.”