Protesters branded ‘losers’

The protest was organised following a series of police raids in a drive against the self-styled Republican Action Against Drugs at the weekend.

The protest featured many dissident republicans, including suspected members of RAAD, and was staged as the terror group admitted being responsible for a blast bomb attack on a police vehicle at the weekend.

It’s the first time the group has admitted targeting the security forces and marks an escalation of its violent actions, confirming a recent RTE Prime Time report that RAAD was set to target police.

The group featured on the RTE programme after a series of high profile incidents, including the murder of Andrew Allen, the expulsion of a large number of young people from republican areas of the city, and the shooting ‘by appointment’ of two young people from a prominent republican family.

Admitting the attack on the police vehicle at the weekend, RAAD said such attacks would continue “as long as the security forces continue to victimise republican areas”.

East Londonderry MP, Gregory Campbell yesterday said such groups’ reign of terror could only be halted when the communities in which they operate make their feelings known, that they want an end to violence.

He said: “The small group of dissident protesters who caused a detour of the Olympic torch through Londonderry has caused negative headlines and have upped the ante considerably in the run up to next year’s UK City of Culture celebrations.

“This tiny group of pathetic losers protested when Nationalists in Greysteel, Unionists in the Waterside,and people of all persuasions and none in Limavady, Ballykelly and Coleraine saw the torch coming through their districts as a cause of celebration.”

Foyle UUP chairman, Terry Wright said: “At a time when Londonderry had an opportunity to present the community in a favourable light it is regrettable that a small unrepresentative minority has chosen to indulge once again in disruptive and angry protest.

“There are few, if any, who would deny the right to protest but when it becomes disruptive and violent in nature it impinges on the rights of others and has to be condemned.

“As such it stands in marked contrast to the selfless participation of those many who were sufficiently motivated to represent the vast majority in welcoming the Olympic torch to the whole island of Ireland and Londonderry in particular.

“Whoever has seen fit to adopt this strategy has no mandate from the community and is acting from a misguided and delusional belief that it serves some purpose.

“At a time when the city is struggling to advance collectively and the people are experiencing obvious difficulties we can no longer indulge their folly and firm restraint needs to be put in place by government using the means at its disposal to bring it to an end.”

“The appropriate community politicians need to make clear their support for such a strategy.”

Witnesses to the protest on Monday said children carrying placards were placed directly in front of police.

Recently police chiefs said the actions of dissident republicans could inflict harm on the city as it sought to boost tourism.