Creggan: 'The vast majority of people do not want this thuggery' By Dean McLaughlin BBC News NI Creggan in Derry is seen as a dissident republican stronghold. It's where journalist Lyra McKee was murdered earlier this year, a bomb was found in a car last week and police officers have been attacked. What do local people think about their neighbourhood being in the headlines? James is working in his garden. Across the street is graffiti on the wall that reads: "New IRA here to stay". He says he had to leave his home on Monday night as streets were cordoned off. "Young people then started to throw petrol bombs at police Land Rovers," he says. Police officers found a bomb on Monday during a security search targeting the New IRA. Police said a crowd of between 60 and 100 young people also gathered in Creggan that evening. Some of them attacked the police with petrol bombs and stones. Others stood by watching. At least two of the young people suffered burn injuries. "At midday I was planting flowers in my garden. At midnight, I was running away to a community centre from a bomb," says James, who did not want his full name being used. "I am sick to the back teeth with this carry on. I'm elderly now and I've seen a lot through the Troubles. The vast majority of people in Creggan do not want this thuggery. "A friend from England called me to ask how I was. All I could say was: 'Planting flowers and avoiding bombs'." The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said, on a number of occasions, that it believes most of the violence in Creggan is orchestrated and that some of the young people are being exploited by paramilitaries. At the heart of Creggan there's a school. Not too far from the school gates is a sign saying "informants will be shot". Some community workers act as mediators with dissident republicans on a regular basis in order to prevent further violence. The anti-British and anti-police messages are clearly visible when you arrive in the area. Many families were also directly affected during Northern Ireland's conflict - known as The Troubles. One community worker told BBC News NI that dissident republicans - who are prepared to use violence to achieve their aim of a united Ireland - "like to think they are recruiting young people to push their message forward". The New IRA admitted carrying out the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in April in Creggan. One 24-year-old woman says she was standing "a couple of hundred yards" from where Ms McKee was shot. The woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, told BBC News NI she was by no means happy with the fact that Ms McKee was killed, but that she did support the PSNI being attacked with petrol bombs. "A lot of people don't realise what we go through here. I have no job. My family went through a lot during the Troubles. I feel strongly about them leaving us alone in Creggan." The woman was able to show BBC News NI footage on her phone of the police being targeted in recent months a
'The vast majority do not want this thuggery'
Creggan: 'The vast majority of people do not want this thuggery' By Dean McLaughlin BBC News NI Creggan in Derry is seen as a dissident republican stronghold. It's where journalist Lyra McKee was murdered earlier this year, a bomb was found in a car last week and police officers have been attacked. What do local people think about their neighbourhood being in the headlines? James is working in his garden. Across the street is graffiti on the wall that reads: "New IRA here to stay". He says he had to leave his home on Monday night as streets were cordoned off. "Young people then started to throw petrol bombs at police Land Rovers," he says. Police officers found a bomb on Monday during a security search targeting the New IRA. Police said a crowd of between 60 and 100 young people also gathered in Creggan that evening. Some of them attacked the police with petrol bombs and stones. Others stood by watching. At least two of the young people suffered burn injuries. "At midday I was planting flowers in my garden. At midnight, I was running away to a community centre from a bomb," says James, who did not want his full name being used. "I am sick to the back teeth with this carry on. I'm elderly now and I've seen a lot through the Troubles. The vast majority of people in Creggan do not want this thuggery. "A friend from England called me to ask how I was. All I could say was: 'Planting flowers and avoiding bombs'." The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said, on a number of occasions, that it believes most of the violence in Creggan is orchestrated and that some of the young people are being exploited by paramilitaries. At the heart of Creggan there's a school. Not too far from the school gates is a sign saying "informants will be shot". Some community workers act as mediators with dissident republicans on a regular basis in order to prevent further violence. The anti-British and anti-police messages are clearly visible when you arrive in the area. Many families were also directly affected during Northern Ireland's conflict - known as The Troubles. One community worker told BBC News NI that dissident republicans - who are prepared to use violence to achieve their aim of a united Ireland - "like to think they are recruiting young people to push their message forward". The New IRA admitted carrying out the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in April in Creggan. One 24-year-old woman says she was standing "a couple of hundred yards" from where Ms McKee was shot. The woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, told BBC News NI she was by no means happy with the fact that Ms McKee was killed, but that she did support the PSNI being attacked with petrol bombs. "A lot of people don't realise what we go through here. I have no job. My family went through a lot during the Troubles. I feel strongly about them leaving us alone in Creggan." The woman was able to show BBC News NI footage on her phone of the police being targeted in recent months a
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