"Criminal elements" and others motivated to target police encouraged young people to engage in disorder in west Belfast on Saturday night, a community meeting has heard. The unrest saw a police officer assaulted, 11 police vehicles damaged, and a man attacked with iron bars.
A crowd of approximately 100 people gathered on the Stewartstown Road, setting bins on fire and throwing masonry at police. Jim Donnelly, from the West Belfast Partnership Board, described the scenes as "absolute chaos."
Youth workers who attempted to assist young people during the disorder have since received threats, Donnelly reported. He stated that many of those involved were teenagers, but on-the-ground workers observed adults encouraging or watching the violence unfold.
"There's lots of different people involved in it, there's criminal elements, there's elements who want to exploit them to attack the police," Donnelly told the public meeting. While he could not confirm if the disorder was politically motivated, he asserted, "what we're sure of is that there were people there directing young people to attack the police."
A number of arrests have been made in connection with the incident. A 27-year-old man has been charged with disorderly behaviour. Donnelly warned that involvement in such activities would have lasting negative consequences for young people, potentially impacting future employment opportunities and leading to imprisonment. "The activities they were involved in on Saturday and were being encouraged to do will have a lasting effect on them," he said. Megan, a youth worker, described the events as a challenging experience. "It was a really difficult night, not just for us trying to help the young people, but also for the wider community," she stated. She added that she had seen young people being encouraged to attack police and throw objects.
Chris Quinn, a community engagement officer, noted that while some young people were involved in the chaos, others were present to witness the events. He emphasized the importance of intervention and support, stating, "The main thing for us is that we can get to them and we can offer them support and guidance." He also mentioned seeing young people encouraged to attack officers.
Danny Baker, a community worker, highlighted the emotional toll on young people involved. "You see the trauma in them," Baker said. He also confirmed witnessing adults encouraging the youth to commit illegal acts. "I saw adults encouraging them, shouting at them to do it," Baker added.
Quinn stressed that the community needs to work together to address the underlying issues that contribute to such disorder. He said, "We have to make sure that we are all pulling together to make sure that our young people have got aspirations and they have got opportunities."