A bonfire was erected in the middle of the Lecky Road in the Bogside area of Derry on Friday evening, blocking the carriageway to traffic. Masked youths set up road blocks to prevent vehicles from using the flyover and a side road while the pyre was built. The PSNI subsequently closed Barrack Street, which leads to the flyover, and diverted motorists onto Bishop Street. Windows in nearby flats were boarded up in an effort to protect them from the heat of the fire when it is lit.

The structure appeared after Department for Infrastructure workers removed bonfire material from the same location in the early hours of Wednesday morning. A petrol bomb was thrown at police officers on Wednesday night close to another planned bonfire site in the Bogside. PSNI Chief Superintendent Gillian Kearney said the force believed the removal of material from beneath the Lecky Road flyover had prompted the initial incidents that evening.

In the Creggan area, a second bonfire has been constructed. A black flag placed close to the site bears the words "kill all cops" and "kill all Huns" and the name "Creggan Republican Youth". Foyle MP Colum Eastwood called for those responsible to remove the flag, stating that it represented sectarian hatred and did not reflect the people of Creggan or Derry. He said the same standard must be applied to sectarianism in all communities and that the overwhelming majority of people in the city wanted to live peacefully.

DUP MLA Trevor Clarke also condemned the display, describing it as a disgusting sight and expressing solidarity with PSNI officers working in the area. He said the officers would not be intimidated and that the vast majority of people rejected what he termed death threats.