Vicious attacks in Derry’s Waterside

A young autistic man who was injured in a series of sectarian attacks in Derry is too afraid to return home following the assault, his mother has said.

Connor Muirhead, who also has severe epilepsy, was walking with a friend in the Waterside when he was set upon by a group of men and needed hospital treatment for his injuries, his mother Tess Curran has said.

Ms Curran believes her 21-year-old son was targeted because he is a Catholic.

She said that the attack started after a group of loyalists shouted at her son and his friend. She said Connor and his friend were chased and then he got punched in the face.

“He passed out and he woke up to a group of guys kicking him in the head and Connor tried to protect his head, but it didn’t work.”

Ms Curran said she her son was now too afraid to return to where he was living in the Waterside.

“His face is all swollen and we are waiting on the results of scans to see the extent of his injuries,” she said.

“I am angry and devastated that it happened to my child. He had moved out to get some independence.

“It’s shocking and that is why I am speaking out as this needs to stop. I am heartbroken.

“Every time I see the injuries his face, I just feel so angry and I cannot believe this is happening in my own town.”

Another “savage attack” in the Waterside area of Derry is though to have been carried out by the same gang. Video footage has emerged appearing to show two boys being set upon by a gang of youths. One is seen being punched and kicked as he’s sitting down, while another is repeatedly pounded with a garden table as he lies on the ground.

The mother of one of the victims in a social media post that were attacked on the Waterside for no reason other than being Catholic.

She said said a mob of “around 30” youths and men between the ages of 14 to mid 20s “stormed” her son and his friends. One of them got away and recorded the shocking incident on video.

After escaping into a woman’s garden, she said a man then went into the garden “and put his hands on my son saying they were brave enough to come down to the estate they are brave enough to take a beating in it”.

She believed the unionist paramilitary UDA was involved. and feared her son would be stabbed to death. There were further threats online.

“I thought i was going to collect my son dead yesterday,” she wrote. “We are in 2025, this is disgusting behaviour. Last night I then had to see pictures of Protestant fellas holding machetes saying they were coming for him.”

Other incidents involved an attack on a bus amid escalating disorder and confrontations.

Numerous posts indicated there was a “stand off” between nationalist and unionist youths in the Top of the Hill area.

Local Sinn Féin Councillor, Christopher Jackson, called for calm.

“There can be no place for sectarianism and such attacks in this society but neither can there be any justification for the subsequent disturbances which took place throughout the wider Top of the Hill area on Sunday.

“The people of this community do not want further violence or for any more young people to be caught up in such incidents.

“Now is the time for calm and to allow the proper authorities to get on with their job of bringing those responsible for the attack to justice.”

He said that the situation had been “brewing for a while”.

“There was always a fear that it was going to escalate to something like what we witnessed at the weekend. So that was always the fear, and it materialised,” he said.

“The root cause is blatant sectarianism, and it saddens me to say that.

“We’ve seen the appalling attack on Saturday where two young men were assaulted, very viciously assaulted, and it was videoed and shared on social media widely.

“There’s no justification for any retaliation. There was no justification for buses being attacked that was carrying children back from a cross-community event.”

He added that the community had made it very clear “they don’t want violence”.

“Social media is certainly playing a part in it, there’s no doubt about that,” he said.

“What we are seeing is that there’s murals being attacked, there’s monuments being attacked, and these tit-for-tat attacks where flags are being erected and taken down in different areas — and it’s all being done for TikTok videos and being antagonised on social media.

Independent republican councillor Gary Donnelly posted online saying: “Sickening scenes appear to show two young boys being brutally beaten by a number of others in what is claimed to be a sectarian attack. I hope those attacked make a full recovery.

“This will inevitably cause anger and I would appeal for calm and not to respond with any form of sectarianism.

“Attacks on anyone because of their perceived religious affiliation is completely wrong.”

Saoradh also condemned what it said was a ‘disgraceful’ sectarian attacks.

“In light of escalating tensions in the Top of the Hill area, with nationalist and loyalist youths facing off, we urge all concerned to remain calm.

“We call on community workers and local people to step forward and show leadership, with Saoradh representatives there to assist if required. The path of sectarian division only serves the interests of those who wish to maintain partition, British rule, and social division.”

Urgent Appeal