Think tank needed to resolve youth problems

Sinn Féin Councillor Brendan Curran said, “There is no excuse for the sort of mindless, copycat violence witnessed last Wednesday evening.

“Those responsible for this thuggery attempted to create cover for their actions by staging this stunt on the eve of the anniversary of Internment.

“Let me state quite clearly, there was no political motivation behind this violence. The Republican agenda is about building the future not about living in or attempting to recreate the past.

“Those behind what was a senseless incident have their own agenda and are mimicking the actions of others in a pathetic effort to create space for criminal activity.”

Mr Curran said the most frightening thing about Wednesday night was the age of some of those involved and he called for a response from the relevant statutory agencie.

He said, “It is not enough to just condemn incidents like this. There has to be a genuine effort to deal with both the criminal and the social issues underlying this sort of wanton anarchy.

“Throwing money at this sort of problem does not solve it. An honest and joint analysis by the relevant bodies is needed and that in turn, must lead to the development and implementation of a realistic action plan.”