Hopes for calm in Galliagh

The community worker was speaking after the removal of material for an August 15 bonfire was met with hijackings, assaults, arson attacks and car burnings on Monday and Tuesday.

"I know a woman near where the trouble was and called down to make sure she was okay. People are fearful. There are a lot of pensioners. Then the buses stop at a certain time. It's a major inconvenience. It shouldn't be happening,” he said.

Mr. Mullan said that whilst what was witnessed in Galliagh was totally unacceptable, it would be wrong to stigmatise young people.

"A lot of the young people down here are great young people. At the end of the day I don't want to see young people ending up with criminal records. If the young people are approached you can explain to them the impact of what they are doing.”

On Tuesday Mr. Mullan talked to a group gathered near the Galliagh Residents’ Association building.

"There were a few workers looking after the place. When I went at 8pm or so there was a young man who told me a crowd was starting to gather across the street. I was going to hop into the car but I thought I'd have a yarn with them. I asked were they OK and they said they were alright.

“I said, ‘I want to tell you something. Do you see that wee centre? The houses around here, it is their centre, their place. I had a yarn with them and eventually they walked away.”

Mr. Mullan reminds us that the people of Galliagh have been on a long road in their campaign for proper amenities.

"I'm down here for 50 years. Before the Co-Op there was nothing down here. There wasn't even a shop. Through the Co-Op people down here, every Friday night, threw in there few pound. Eventually that building was built. Anything that was down here people had to fight for it.

"People are fighting for jobs. There is nothing being spent on the west bank of the Foyle. We've heard of the City Deals. Where is the money going to? The young people down here, we want to see them getting a chance.

Shots fired, man hijacked, assaulted, car fence torched and bus damaged in Galliagh

“I know myself a lot of the young people are good people. Young people are leaving school and the chances of a job are few and far between. This is the forgotten city.”

The veteran community representative pointed out many people involved in the disturbances travelled from outside Galliagh.

“What happened shouldn't have happened. I went over the other night and I couldn't believe how many cars were there. People came from outside to see what was happening. About 15 of the young people I was speaking to walked up the street, they didn't walk down the street. They weren't from the area.

"The people in Galliagh Park; they said last year was an all night session between drink and drugs. They’ve had enough.”

Mr. Mullan hopes calm prevails over the weekend.

“Hopefully that's the end of it.”

Teenage girl requires surgery to face after being struck by debris from burning car after hijacking