An Tanaiste Simon Coveney with Mayor of Derry and Strabane Councillor John Boyle and party leader on the council Martin Reilly
The Derry City and Strabane SDLP Council Group Leader said: “The SDLP were pleased to welcome An Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, to Derry to meet with a number of residents from the Bogside after a week of attacks that included petrol bombs and a number of injured Police Officers.
“We would like to thank the Irish Government for tangibly reaffirming their commitment and support for people in the North.”
Mr Coveney said he was in Derry to “show solidarity with all political, community and youth leaders working to end rioting and violence”.
He met residents of the Bogside.
The visit follow six consecutive nights of violence in the city.
“On Friday night things were a lot calmer, so I think that’s positive news and hopefully we can repeat that in the nights ahead,” Mr Coveney said.
“But certainly the previous number of nights were not what we want to see or expect to see anymore, coming from a city like Derry, which has done extraordinary things in recent years towards ensuring the communities can live together peacefully,” he added.
