MTV crew ‘drew crowd’ to riot in Londonderry
Britain
A film crew fronted by the presenter Reggie Yates that captured the Londonderry riot in which Lyra Mckee was murdered is to pass its footage to police amid claims that dissident republicans had put on a ‘‘show of strength’’ for its cameras.
Yates, the former Top of the Pops presenter, had been filming a documentary for MTV in the Creggan area of the city last Friday when violence erupted.
Mckee, an investigative journalist and gay rights activist, was shot in the head as she watched the riot unfold in what police have described as a ‘‘brutal attack that has sent shockwaves around the world’’.
Yesterday two teenagers, aged 18 and 19, were arrested in connection with the murder under terrorism laws following dawn raids in Creggan.
Detectives believe the riot and shooting by masked gunmen was orchestrated by the New IRA, a dissident group opposed to the Northern Ireland peace process.
The violence followed a police search for weapons on a council estate at about 9.45pm amid fears that terrorists were planning to launch an attack over the Easter bank holiday weekend.
However, some in the community claim that the wellpublicised presence in the area of Yates and his film crew may have drawn more youths onto the streets and emboldened militants.
‘‘Tensions had been rising in the area and there is a strong belief that they were being stoked by dissidents for the benefit of the film crew,’’ said one community worker who did not want to be named.
Yates, 35, has previously made hard-hitting documentaries for BBC3. His latest project is an eight-part series for MTV which focuses on ‘‘big issues’’ facing young people across the globe.
The presenter and his crew, working for a company called Flicker Productions, arrived in Londonderry last Friday and had been due to continue filming until Wednesday this week.
Their presence had been well trailed. A producer for the series had written to local groups asking for interviews, stating: ‘‘One of the episodes is focusing on how Brexit has reignited tensions in NI [Northern Ireland] and the impact that this is having on the youth of NI.’’
Yates and his crew are understood to have been filming a young man in Creggan on the night of the riot. They had been at the youth’s home when they heard news of the police raid at the Mulroy Park estate.
Sources say the crew had originally been 20 minutes away from the scene of the violence. An image of Yates subsequently appeared on social media which placed him at an area known as Creggan Shops- close to the junction from where gunshots were later fired. One widely circulated Snapchat post carried the caption: ‘‘Reggie Yates at the shops, I am buzzing.’’
The riot, which saw petrol bombs thrown at police and a hijacked vehicle set on fire, began just before 10pm.
Mckee, 29, was shot dead about an hour later.
The Sunday Times has discovered that one angry resident confronted the MTV crew after seeing them filming the violence at about 10.30pm.
The crew are believed to have left the area soon afterwards, heading back to their hotel and leaving the city the following day.
John Mcgowan, another resident, said on Twitter: ‘‘Reggie Yates ... was there doing one of his documentaries. I honestly believe those involved bigged this up, knowing cameras were there, with horrifying consequences.’’
A second Twitter user added: ‘‘Show of strength for Reggie Yates that ended in the death of a young woman.’’
The Police Service of Northern Ireland denied this claim yesterday.
‘‘I have seen no evidence of any sort to show that the presence of media on the ground contributed or impacted on the situation,’’ said Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy, who is leading the investigation.
Police have demanded to see all footage of the riot and MTV is understood to be co-operating.
The channel said in a statement: ‘‘We can confirm that a production company was filming a documentary series for MTV in Northern Ireland and was present in the Creggan area where journalist Lyra Mckee was tragically shot and killed.
‘‘Our heartfelt condolences go out to Lyra’s family and friends and our thoughts are with the people of Derry during this tragic time.’’ – Sunday Times