'Vile and hate-driven' graffiti in Derry condemned

Graffiti that appeared on a number of properties in a new housing development in Derry has been condemned as 'vile and hate-driven' by local politicians.

The graffiti appeared on the front of four houses at Church Brae in the Waterside area over the weekend, some of which had messages referring to Catholics and migrants not being welcome in the area.

Sinn Féin councillor Christopher Jackson has slammed racist and sectarian graffiti on a new housing development in the Church Brae area. 

Christopher Jackson said: “I am absolutely appalled that racist and sectarian graffiti has been sprayed on new homes in the Church Brae area of the city.

“This is the latest vile and hate-driven attempt to intimidate people and families from living in brand new homes. 

“There is an onus on all political and community leaders to stand united in calling out racist and sectarian intimidation. 

“Anyone with information on those behind these deplorable displays of hate should bring it forward to the PSNI.”

SDLP Waterside councillor Sean Mooney has said there can be no place for racist or sectarian intimidation in the city.

Cllr Mooney said:“People in Derry are proud that at a time when we are seeing a rise in racist incidents in other parts of the North that our city has come together to reject the hateful message of a tiny minority who seek to divide communities and harass people who have chosen to make the North their home.

“It is extremely disheartening that we have now seen a housing development targeted with racist and sectarian graffiti in an attempt to intimidate. People in this city are well aware of the housing crisis we are dealing with, and new housing developments, wherever they are, must be open to everyone.

“The people who carried this out do not speak for the people of the Waterside where people from a diverse range of backgrounds live and work alongside each other. This attempt to create fear will be fully rejected and must be condemned by political leaders in the strongest possible terms.”

And UUP Faughan Alderman Janice Montgomery has said there is no place for it in the community. 

Alderman Montgomery said: “There is no place for a hate crime like this, I don’t understand what they are looking to achieve with actions like this. I don’t see the point in this graffiti, it is pointless.

“Immigrants need a home here as much as anybody else, and it is a senseless act.”

Meanwhile a local resident was shocked and appalled by the graffiti. 

They said: “I have a seven-year-old daughter, and her first day back in school she is seeing graffiti like this. It is embarrassing and unwelcomed. 

“We don’t need this in the Church Brae area, and I don’t want the children of the area to be subjected to things like this.”

The PSNI in Derry have said they are investigating a report of criminal damage to a number of properties in the Church Brae area of the city.

Police said the racist and sectarian graffiti is believed to have been spray-painted onto the exterior walls of a number of unoccupied new-build houses, sometime overnight on Sunday/ early hours of Monday.

Chief Inspector McManus said: “We are treating this incident as not only criminal damage, but as a hate crime which is totally unacceptable.

“This will not be tolerated. We will continue to work closely with our partners, community representatives and elected representatives. Hate crime has no place in our society whatsoever. Be reassured, we will be relentless in our approach to identify those involved.

“I would appeal to anyone with any information which could assist with our investigation to contact officers on 101 quoting 600 02/09/24.”

Alternatively, you can submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/ .”