Name of boy who died in tragic incident in Londonderry placed on a Republican bonfire
Kyle Bonnes lost his life in 2010 after getting into difficulties in a river in the Waterside area of the city.
Former PSNI Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell, who was shot in a dissident republican attack, is among a number of other names also on the bonfire.
Kyle Bonnes sister said it's not the first time Kyle's name has been put on a Republican bonfire.Adding it's, "deeply upsetting and traumatizing."
Police said they "are aware of material, which includes drawings of crosshairs and names of people, placed on the bonfire in Creggan and of images circulating on social media in relation to this.
"Enquiries are ongoing and all offences will be investigated accordingly."
DUP MLA Gary Middleton said: " When you place the name of a younger child who had died or drowned onto the bonfire, you know, that is deeply sickening."The names of PSNI officers and politicians, that is wrong."We do see these issues arise time and time again, but I think this is clearly a race to the bottom and one which people right across our communities will be disgusted with."It's designed to cause maximum damage, and that's what it will do, and I just urge people to reflect on that and to remove it from the bonfire."The bonfire builders also planned to burn the name of John Caldwell, the former detective Inspector was shot in front of his son near Omagh.He survived the new IRA murder bid but continues to live with around the clock protection.Additionally, the name of a serving PSNI officer also appear in between two drawings of crosshairs, with symbolic threats described by the Police Federation, as "reprehensible, abhorrent and disgusting."Sinn Fein assembly member Pádraig Delargy, who has spoken out against bonfires in the city, is also on this pyre.Speaking today Finance Minister John O'Down said: "Pádraig Delargy is a young Republican who's given leadership to his community in relation to bonfires."And he's standing up against those who choose to bring such those materials and bonfires into their society and the harm they caused to society."
This controversial bonfire in Creggan is expected to be lit sometime on Friday night.
Area Commander of Derry City & Strabane, Chief Superintendent Gillian Kearney said: "The display of names with crosshairs is an attempt to intimidate, which is unacceptable.'While we are not the lead agency, we remain committed to working with our partners, including local councils and other public and statutory bodies, as well as community representatives, to address issues linked to bonfires."
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
JD Vance greeted by angry Palestine protesters as he arrives in Scotland for holiday
As US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Scotland for a family holiday to the UK, he was greeted at the resort by dozens of pro-Palestine protesters, who accused him of supporting a 'genocide' by Israel in Gaza on Wednesday, 13 August. It comes after demonstrators descended on a quiet hamlet in the Cotswolds to protest against the Republican's presence there. Dozens of people gathered in the usually quiet Oxfordshire countryside to tell Mr Vance he was 'not welcome' in the area as he stayed in a Grade II listed country manor in the hamlet of Dean. Local media described a crowd of between 50 to 100 people gathering in the nearby village of Charlbury.
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Trump takes aim at Washington DC's 'old, tired, exhausted' grass
"We're going to be redoing the parks, redoing the grass," Trump said on Aug. 13 as he named the latest slate of Kennedy Center honorees from Washington's John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. "You know, grass has a lifetime, like people have a lifetime. And the lifetime of this grass is long. It's been gone, when you look at the parks." Trump's push for a grass makeover comes as he's vowed not only to tackle crime in the nation's capital but to also make D.C. "so beautiful again." Echoing the language of his long career in real estate, Trump has talked about D.C. like he might a fixer-upper property. He wants graffiti painted over, litter picked up and - yes - grass replaced at parks. "The grass is old, tired, exhausted," Trump said. "We're going to be redoing the grass with the finest grasses. I know a lot about grass because I own a lot of golf courses. And if you don't have good grass, you're not in business very long." More: Seeing 'oceanfront property' in Ukraine, Trump's real estate history shapes his presidency Trump did not identify the parks he has in mind for grass replacement. Several of D.C.'s most recognizable parks, including the National Mall, are federal parks managed by the National Park Service. Others are local parks managed by DC's Department of Parks and Recreation. Washington DC is in the middle of a dry spell, making grass around town browner and barer than usual. For the past five years, Washington DC has been named the nation's best big-city park system by the nonprofit Trust for Public Land. More: President Trump says other US cities could be next as he deploys National Guard to DC Trump to ask Congress to extend police takeover beyond 30 days Trump on Aug. 11 took control of Washington DC's Metropolitan Police Department by declaring a "crime emergency" under the Home Rule Act of 1973, even as the city's violent crime has dropped by 26% this year. He also deployed 800 National Guard troops to DC, declaring he wants to rescue it from "crime, bloodshed, bedlam, squalor and worse." Under the Home Rule Act, however, Trump's federal takeover of the police department must end within 30 days unless he gets approval from Congress. Trump said he plans to submit crime-related legislation to Congress "very quickly" that will include extending the federalized police force in D.C. beyond 30 days. He said he expects unanimous Republican support for the measure. "We're going to be asking for extensions on that - long-term extensions - because you can't have (just) 30 days," he said. Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Are stimulus checks coming? Trump proposed tariff rebate unlikely
The White House has announced that some of the tariffs, which were disclosed on April 2, have raised $100 billion in revenue. Trump didn't provide further details on the potential rebates, which are unlikely to pass in Congress, except to say they would only be available to people from certain income levels. The president would need congressional approval to authorize the rebates. While details are scarce, here's what you need to know about a potential tariff rebate. Previous story: Trump considers 'rebates' to US taxpayers from tariff income Sen. Josh Hawley introduces rebate bill Shortly after Trump's July comments, Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, introduced the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025. The proposed legislation would send rebate checks of at least $600 per individual to U.S. residents. A family of four could receive up to $2,400. The legislation allows the credit to increase if tariff revenues exceed 2025 projections. "My legislation would allow hard-working Americans to benefit from the wealth that Trump's tariffs are returning to this country," said Hawley in a news release announcing the bill. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said tariff revenue is expected to reach $300 billion annually. Yet, economists have said the policies could increase inflation and cost taxpayers thousands of dollars per year, especially if Trump doesn't reach trade deals with key partners like Canada and Mexico. For joint filers with an adjusted gross income of over $150,000 and people filing single who earn more than $75,000, the benefit would be reduced by 5%. The legislation has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee. It would need to pass both the Senate and the House of Representatives to become law. What are some of the hurdles facing the rebate? Republican lawmakers are unlikely to be excited about increasing federal spending. The stimulus checks issued during the COVID-19 pandemic cost the government about $164 billion. If checks were issued, it would mean a significant percentage of tariff revenue would be going back to taxpayers at a time when Trump himself has said his priority is paying down $37 trillion in debt. "The big thing we want to do is pay down debt," Trump said in July. "But we're thinking about rebates." In an interview with Semafor, one conservative lawmaker shot down the idea. "People love spending money and granting new tax cuts when we can't afford it," Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, told the outlet. "We're $37 trillion in debt and running $2 trillion a year deficits - some time, this madness just has to end." How is a tax rebate different from a stimulus check? A tax rebate is a reimbursement made to a taxpayer for an excess amount paid in taxes during the year, while a stimulus check is a direct payment from the federal government to households. Tax rebates can be issued at any point during the year. Hawley's news release states that the parameters for the tax rebate would be similar to the stimulus checks issued in 2020 during the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic. When could a tax rebate be implemented? Hawley's bill has until the end of the current congressional calendar to pass through both chambers of Congress, or it will be considered dead and would need to be introduced again if lawmakers want to move forward with it. Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@
