A MEETING is to be held today after part of Galliagh was plunged into darkness at the weekend by rampaging youths.
Street lights were smashed in Moss Park, stones thrown and a number of fires started during trouble in the estate.
Families said they were too frightened to leave their homes because of the violence.
Martin Connolly from Community Restorative Justice said the community in Galliagh were “being held to ransom’..
He said a meeting with other agencies would be held today to discuss the violence.
“This situation has been happening for quite a number of weekends – what we are talking about here is a group of five or six individuals who are continually creating problems for the local residents,” Mr Connolly said.
“We have directly approached these young people on a number of occasions, we have recruited them to local groups.
“We will be meeting today again with a number of local agencies and community groups.
“The local community know who they are, the police are well aware of these individuals and what we are saying is other agencies need to step up to the mark here. It has now gone past the stage where the community has suffered too long with these individuals.
“These guys are only 14, 15, 16 and they have been trying to hold this community to ransom by threat and by other means.”
Mr Connolly said if the group of teenagers did not desist from their activities they would “find themselves going through the criminal justice system”.
“It is something we don’t want to see but let’s be real here, let’s look at what has been happening,” he added.
“Something has to be done and it has to be done now.”
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