The British Secretary of State for Defence has added his voice to the condemnation of the weekend violence in Derry, which has cost the city over £5 million in damage and lost business. During a meeting with security chiefs in Derry yesterday, Mr George Robertson said the violence, during which 1,000 petrol bombs were thrown at the RUC by nationalist rioters, had been orchestrated by what he called hooligans.
"I think it is tragic that violence by a tiny minority of hooligans should disrupt people's lives in the festive season, but it is not going to dislodge those of us who believe that violence has no place to play in the future of Northern Ireland," he said. Mr Robertson said his message was that the British government would not be deflected by the violence.
"Clearly the violence was well planned and well organised by a tiny minority of people. The vast majority of people in Northern Ireland are decent hard-working
people and I am glad that the minority were clearly put into a tiny category.
"The talks process goes on bringing communities together, not just for Christmas but for the future of this whole country," he said. Meanwhile, at a cross-community carol service organised by Londonderry Chamber of Commerce in St Columb's Cathedral, the Mayor, Mr Martin Bradley, said the violence had made his worst nightmare real. "Everyone has a duty to make sure that it doesn't happen again. It was a nightmare come true. It was the worst possible scenario. The only positive thing is that, thank God, no one was killed. "It has to stop. Our city must not suffer like this again. There is an untold economic effect on the city internationally because of the weekend violence. My job of promoting Derry abroad has been made tenfold more difficult. Every petrol bomb thrown represents a potential job lost, but it's time for calm reflection, not for apportioning blame," he said. Staff at the Littlewoods store at the junction of William Street and Waterloo Place, which was destroyed by petrol bombers early on Sunday morning, have been told their jobs are safe.
A spokesperson for Littlewoods said: "We don't know when the store will reopen until the full extent of the fire has been assessed. Meantime, all permanent staff are being offered employment at the Index store in Derry or at the Connswater store in Belfast. Temporary Christmas staff will be paid up to Christmas Eve, when their employment was due to end."