A graffiti attack on loyalist murals and a number of homes in Derry was a deliberate attempt to raise tensions before next week’s Apprentice Boys parade, a DUP councillor has claimed.
IRA slogans were daubed on murals at Bond’s Street and Duddy’s Court in the Triangle area of the Waterside overnight on Saturday.
A number of homes, both Catholic and Protestant, were also daubed with paint. Police say they are treating the attack – in which “IRA” and “IRA ghost” was painted over the murals – as a sectarian hate crime.
Waterside DUP councillor, David Ramsey said people in the Clooney area were disgusted by the attack.
Mr Ramsey said local people believed the attack was a deliberate attempt to stir up tensions in the build-up to the annual Relief of Derry march on Saturday week.
“A lot of work has gone on between community groups, the Apprentice Boys, the Bogside residents’ group and the Londonderry Bands’ Forum and Cultúrlann to make sure the march goes peacefully but these attacks are trying to stop that,” he said.
Mr Ramsey said no-one could understand why the words “IRA ghost” were used.
“People are wondering was it saying the ghost of the IRA will come back to haunt you or something like that.”
He said similar graffiti was used recently at the unionist Irish Street and nationalist Top of the Hill interface.
The attack has been condemned by Sinn Féin assembly member, Raymond McCartney.
“There can be no place for sectarianism in our society. Sinn Féin condemns any attempt to stoke tensions within communities. Everyone should be able to live free from fear or intimidation,” he said.
