COMMUNITY groups and representatives from across West Belfast came together on Wednesday afternoon in an act of solidarity with the Colin community following last weekend's public disorder.
Police were forced to close a section of the Stewartstown Road on Saturday evening after disruptive crowds had gathered.
Bins were set on fire and masonry was thrown at police in scenes described as "absolute chaos".
Scramblers and e-bikes were also driven dangerously on the Stewartstown Road and on the pavement.
At Sally Gardens Community Centre meeting, Chair of West Belfast Partnership Board Jim Donnelly confirmed that there was deep anger in the community in the wake of the Saturday night chaos. "Today is an opportunity for us to show the anger that is out there, harness it and move forward into something that can benefit all the young people and families in the Colin area," he said.
Colm Fanning, from Lagmore Youth Project said young people must not be dragged into criminality by others.
"On Saturday night, we saw adults mixing in with the young people. Some want to get our young people involved in criminality," he said.
Colm Fanning from Lagmore Youth Project
"Youth workers are there to do the opposite. We want to see them progress and thrive and have a bright future. Colin is coming down with positive activities, in the sports clubs and the youth clubs. There is so much for young people to get involved in. There needs to be more joined-up thinking and a collective approach to prevent this type of behaviour happening again."
Danny Baker MLA called for a "reset" for the whole Colin community.
"I am proud to be from the Colin area. I love it and I am proud to represent it," he said. "The images from the weekend are not reflective of the vast majority of young people in this area. I see the good work that goes on every single day. We can't shy away from the lawlessness that happened on Saturday night. There has been an escalation in the area in recent weeks with scramblers and e-scooters and stolen cars. Yet, before the weekend, I hadn't seen a stolen car in the Colin area in over a decade."
The Sinn Féin man added: "As a community, this is a reset for us all. We are all here to save our young people and we need to do it together. We will not let those who want to exploit our young people and drag us back win."
West Belfast MP Paul Maskey Paul Maskey hailed the meeting as "a positive story" from the Twinbrook-Poleglass-Lagmore area.
"The unfortunate reality is that some young people will be brought to justice," he said. "There are criminal elements out there ensuring that young people fall into a trap and shame on them. We want to ensure our communities flourish. The Colin area is a good area."
In a statement issued after the gathering the 'youth, community and sports sector' in West Belfast "unequivocally condemned the intimidation and threats directed at youth workers and the anti-social behaviour, criminality and violence that has left the Colin community living in fear".
The statement adds: "The scenes witnessed on the Stewartstown Road have no place in our community. They offer nothing."
