MLAS should recognise the damage rioting inflicts upon our reputation

SADLY, some MLAS and others have tried to justify the despicable rioting over the Easter weekend and since, which has again brought shame on Northern Ireland and the majority who want an end to this annual stupidity.

Taking to the streets to selfishly make demands, or cause disruption, is not justifiable when we have a local Assembly, where issues can — and should — be raised, discussed and resolved.

Assembling crowds on the streets is absolutely stupid, as well as being illegal under current Covid regulations, putting participants at risk of disease and injury.

Petrol bombing and attacks on the police, expensive buses and property puts Northern Ireland in a very bad light when it is so important this summer that we attract tourists from Ireland and Great Britain to visit our shores and bring prosperity to Northern Ireland.

When people in mainland Britain see this horrific rioting, they only want to wash their hands of Northern Ireland and disinvest from the province.

Rather than excusing, or justifying, people taking to the streets to cause mayhem and distress, MLAS and leaders in the community need to encourage people here to work together instead of fighting, to tidy up their local areas and to take pride in our province.

We need to make the most of our unique access to the British, Irish and European Union markets, which Great Britain cannot so easily access, encouraging people to be enterprising in creating new businesses and to get out of the mindset that the Government owes us something: it doesn’t. PETER SELLAR Castlerock, Co Londonderry