Nine charged over city violence
Nine people have been charged in connection with violence which followed an Apprentice Boys’ parade in Londonderry.
A total of 26 people were questioned by police after trouble in the city on Saturday night.
Two police officers were injured after petrol bombs and other missiles were thrown.
The trouble flared at Butchers Gate, Magazine street, Fahan Street and Memorial Hall.
Six men – aged 48, 30, 28, 22, and two 25-year-olds – were charged with public order offences and two other males – aged 17 and 21 – with possession of a petrol bomb.
They are due to appear in Londonderry Magistrates’ Court next month.
Another teenager also arrested on Saturday night will appear in the same court on Monday charged with breaching his bail conditions.
The 17 other people arrested have been released without charge.
The police said the parade itself passed off “largely peacefully”.
Its start was delayed following the discovery of two suspicious objects at Governor Walker’s Pillar on the city’s walls.
Controlled explosions were carried out by the Army. The devices were later declared elaborate hoaxes.
SDLP Foyle MLA Pat Ramsey said a “small group of extremists” were intent on causing trouble.
‘At all costs’
“Both sides of the community wanted this parade to pass off without trouble of any kind, and so it did,” said Mr Ramsey.
“But a small number of extremists wanted to use the parade to cause trouble at all costs, so they disrupted with hoaxes and then they did what they could to whip some street violence later.”
Up to 10,000 Apprentice Boys and 130 bands took part in the parade.
