Keeping teen rioters away from Belfast interfaces
- Published
Young people were involved in riots in west Belfast in April
When the rioting erupted in west Belfast in early April youth workers Conor Largey and Eamon Feerick spent nights on the interfaces.
They and others from St Peters Immaculata Youth Centre in the Lower Falls Road were trying to get young people away from the flashpoints.
Many of those taking part in rioting were teenagers or younger.
"We had some positive responses and some negative responses," Conor admitted.
Clad in distinctive red jackets with "youth worker" in bold on the back, he said they were "able to get 32 young people via the use of our minibus on two different runs down to the youth centre".
Conor Largey and Eamon Feerick diverted youths from the rioting in Belfast
Northern Ireland's children's commissioner Koulla Yiasouma said adults engaged in "criminal exploitation" of fighting youths "had to be held accountable".
But for Conor social media, excitement and curiosity were also factors.
"There were some young people who wanted to watch, some young people who maybe wanted to participate," he said.
"Those young people didn't really understand why they were there.
"It was hyped up, there was a load of hype on social media, there was a load of hype everywhere and our kids were buying into it - and they're kids, they are going to buy into it.
"Social media is so controlling."
A short distance away on the Shankill Road, youth leader Ryan McFarlane from the Hammer Youth Club was both shocked, yet not surprised, at the age of some of those involved.
Ryan McFarlane and Gavin Brown said they were shocked at the age of the youths rioting
"I was in those shoes myself once, and it's very easy to think that 'this is what I want to do because everyone else is doing it' and it's a bit of entertainment, it's an adrenaline rush," he said.
"You're in lockdown as well, there's nothing really for young people to do, no activities or nothing.
"I was shocked to see how many of them were so young because there was a lot of young people who were very, very young rioting."
On 8 April, after nights of trouble, youth centres in the area - which had been closed by the NI Executive due to Covid-19 restrictions - were allowed to reopen.
Youth centres limited trouble
Ryan's fellow leader at the Hammer, Gavin Brown, said that helped draw some teenagers away from the trouble.
"During lockdown, young people weren't in school, they weren't allowed to see their friends, they weren't allowed to come to youth centres," he said.
"I think if youth centres were open during Covid, not to say that it wouldn't have happened, but the majority of young people would have come towards our centre.
"When we actually opened there was rioting going on in Lanark Way and the next day we had 60 or 80 young people in."
Keith McAughtery and Stephen Hughes work as youth leaders on both sides of the interface
According to Stephen Hughes, the senior youth worker at St Peter's Immaculata, youth leaders on both sides of the interface work together.
"Our responsibility in youth services is to keep young people safe and to prevent them getting involved and drawn into violence with our neighbours," he said.
"We've spent many years building relationships with youth groups on the Shankill, who we work with every day and we don't want relationships damaged.
"We want to ensure that peace-building continues and the best outcome for both our communities is achieved."
The senior youth worker from Holy Trinity Youth Centre in Turf Lodge, Keith McAughtery, also said re-opening youth centres helped limit the number of young people on both sides drawn to the trouble.
"It had a massive benefit, and allows us to work collegiately," he said.
Conor and Eamon, seen here with Education Minister Peter Weir, wore jackets identifying them as youth workers during the rioting
'Worried about summer'
But the message he and other youth workers in the area gave to the Education Minister Peter Weir when he met them this week was that plans need to be in place now for young people at interfaces in the months ahead.
Keith McAughtery is worried about the summer.
"I would share some worries about it," he said.
"We have so many contentious dates coming up, we have so many anniversaries, we have the centenary, we have a number of other annual events coming up.
"It's clear that if violence does escalate young people will be drawn into that.
"How do we work collectively and how do we target those young people who are vulnerable, and who will find this exciting?
"How do we stop them being pawns in that game that is being played?"
Conor Largey is more hopeful that the number of children and young people involved in any trouble can be limited - as long as work starts to prepare now.
"I think if we are able to plan and co-ordinate for the summer I think we'll be fine," he said.
"I think we might see some flare ups but we'll do what we always do and keep young people safe as best we can."
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