Man jailed for part in Hull riot
A man who admitted violent disorder during the Hull riots last year has been jailed for two years.Levi Burnham, 29, of Nelson Court, Hull, was seen on CCTV throwing objects at police officers in the city centre.He also pleaded guilty to stealing from a car that had previously come under attack from a mob causing its Romanian occupants to flee.Drone footage played in Hull Crown Court on Monday showed Burnham reaching into the front passenger door and taking something before cycling off.
Shops were looted, fires started, cars damaged and police officers attacked following demonstrations involving anti-immigration protesters on 3 August 2024.In mitigation, his barrister Rachel Scott told the court that her client showed "remorse and regret" for his actions.She added that he did not go to the city centre to take part in the protest, but "became carried along in the riot".Passing sentence, Judge Mark Bury said he accepted Burnham got caught up in events of that day but added "instead of turning away from it you got involved."Judge Bury said the large scale public disorder "represents a stain on this city".There was an increase in Burnham's sentence as the judge ruled there was a racially aggravated element to his behaviour.Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
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New Statesman
2 hours ago
- New Statesman
Ireland's anti-immigrant rage will not go away
Pacemaker Belfast On Tuesday night, a small town in Northern Ireland saw its second night of anti-immigration unrest. Ballymena – population 31,000, half an hour north of Belfast – has been thrown into a state of disarray not seen there since the acme of the Troubles in the 1970s. Riot police were deployed as hundreds gathered. The crowd launched petrol bombs and bricks at police services, and tried to burn down houses on a central residential street. Protestors were dispersed with a water cannon; at least fifteen police officers have been declared injured; windows have been smashed and cars set alight. It is a predictable escalation on the events of Monday evening. That morning, two 14-year-olds accused of sexual assault of a teenage girl appeared before Coleraine Magistrates'court, speaking through an interpreter in Romanian. (They both deny the charges.) The day unfurled in a familiar pattern. Crowds gathered peacefully for a vigil at the site of the alleged assault that afternoon, a vigil that by evening had descended into violence as protestors similarly launched petrol bombs and bricks at police services. Jim Allister, the local MP representing the conservative and protestant Traditional Unionist Voice party, suggested the 'very distressing' scenes were a product of unhappiness at 'significant demographic change in the area' caused by 'unfettered immigration.' When ethnic tension broke out on the streets of England last summer, the echoes with very recent history were apparent. Three young girls were murdered at a Taylor Swift dance class in the seaside town of Southport, triggering days of rioting and anti-immigration protests. Hundreds were arrested. Few could ignore the parallels with Dublin less than a year prior. In November 2023 the city was set ablaze after an Algerian naturalised citizen allegedly attacked school children and their teacher in the inner northside. Agitators made their call to arms over encrypted messaging service Telegram: 'Everyone bally [balaclava] up, tool up,' a man can be heard in a voice note. 'Let's show the f***ing media that we're not a pushover. That no more foreigners are allowed into this poxy country.' There are several things that unite the two events: a common rhetorical cause (in Dublin protestors shout 'Ireland is full', in England banners read 'we want our country back'); an incoherent, small, and angry nativist cohort united by a violent attack on children; and a social media-scape littered with false information that spread faster than the authorities could react to it. In both cases the attacker was incorrectly identified as an 'illegal immigrant'. The deeper social contours are similar, too: these are white working class areas. A million newspaper columns, books, sociological studies and documentaries have been produced to explain, critique, and, in some cases, ventriloquise their rage. An entire language has been generated to accompany this agonised library: left-behind, somewheres, broken heartlands, red wall even white working class itself, a phrase that barely existed before the 1960s, and only gained currency in Britain following the vote to leave the European Union in 2016. The basic, fundamental fact of the matter hasn't changed since then. An unhappy, alienated white working class channels its despair into desperate political gambles, or, more bleakly, outright violence. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Ireland and Britain increasingly resemble one another in this respect. In Dublin in particular the demographic change is precipitous: in the year to April 2023, immigration reached a 16-year high of 141,600; one opinion poll conducted by the Business Post/Red C, found that 75 per cent of people believed Ireland was accepting too many refugees. The country had long considered itself immune to the worst excesses of national populism but the levels of immigration, combined with the profound housing crisis, have created a tinderbox atmosphere. The riots in November 2023 were only a surprise if you'd stopped paying attention. Given the agitation just south of the border, we might have expected a cross-pollination event sooner in Northern Ireland. But it was not until the Southport attacks in August 2024 that Belfast saw its own large-scale agitation, in support of the protests across the Irish Sea. Strikingly, Irish tricolours appeared alongside Ulster flags – both sides of the tradition finally united under a common cause: anti-immigration. One thing is clear: this mode of civil unrest is not local. What happened in Dublin precipitated last summer's events in England, as porous social media appeared to turbo-charge tensions on both sides of the sea. The 2024 marches in Belfast were held in solidarity with protestors in England, and were joined by agitators who had travelled north from the Republic. Ballymena is not just half an hour away from Belfast. It is – via X, Facebook and Telegram – just as close to the restless communities scattered across the archipelago. A long summer lies ahead. [See more: Labour is losing Wales] Related
North Wales Chronicle
6 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
PSNI use water cannon in Ballymena after petrol bombs thrown at officers
Riot police were deployed around the Clonavon Terrace area on Tuesday night as hundreds of people gathered in the Co Antrim town. PSNI vehicles formed barricades on some roads while riot police wearing armour and carrying shields also responded to the disorder. Some protesters shouted abuse and threw objects at the police, including fireworks, glass bottles and pieces of metal. A car was set on fire near a car wash and tyre centre as part of a number of blazes started by protesters. Police fired plastic baton rounds at some of those gathered and also used water cannons to disperse the crowd. Multiple house windows were smashed during the unrest and the clothing of at least one protester caught fire during the disorder. Many young children were present among those gathered near police lines. Repeatedly using water cannons, PSNI – accompanied by dog units – moved protesters away from Clonavon Terace towards the junction of Bridge Street and North Street near a mural of King William. Some homes in the area displayed signs about the nationalities of those normally resident, including one saying 'British household' and another with 'Filipino lives here'. It comes after violent disorder on Monday, following an earlier peaceful protest in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area. A number of homes and police vehicles were damaged during the riotous behaviour. The scenes of violence in Ballymena, which left 15 police injured on Monday, were described as 'racist thuggery' by a senior officer. Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the force had a significant operation in place over the coming days. He said: 'We are actively working to identify those responsible for last night's racially motivated disorder in Ballymena and bring them to justice. 'Anyone who has information or who can help identify those responsible is asked to contact police on 101.' A 29-year-old man has been charged with riotous behaviour after being arrested during disorder in Ballymena on Monday night. The man, who is due to appear before Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Thursday July 3, has also been charged with disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police. Mr Henderson said other arrests are expected following the examination of video footage. The Prime Minister's official spokesman described the events which saw police and ethnic minorities targeted as 'very concerning'. In Clonavon Terrace, several houses had their windows smashed and two which suffered significant smoke damage remained sealed off on Tuesday. The violence flared following an earlier peaceful protest in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the town at the weekend. Two 14-year-old boys appeared in court on Monday charged with attempted rape. The charges were read to the teenagers by a Romanian interpreter. On Tuesday, the PSNI said it had made a third arrest in connection with the incident and reiterated a public appeal for information. Detective Inspector Olphert from the PSNI's public protection branch said: 'A 28-year-old man was arrested yesterday evening, Monday June 9. 'He has been unconditionally released from police custody following questioning.' Mr Henderson said the attacks should be 'loudly condemned by all right-thinking people'. 'Any attempt to justify or explain it as something else is misplaced,' he said at a press conference at Ballymena police station earlier on Tuesday. He said members of the minority ethnic community 'felt fear' and there will be a significant policing operation in the town in the coming days to reassure the community. 'I would strongly urge anyone who was involved in yesterday's disorder to reflect long and hard about their actions, they will have consequences,' he said. Mr Henderson said that police officers from England and Wales will be brought to Northern Ireland if needed to help the PSNI in the wake of the Ballymena disorder. As part of ongoing inquiries, police are also investigating a report of arson at the Tobar Park area of Cullybackey in the early hours of Tuesday. Shortly after 12.20am, it was reported that a petrol bomb had been thrown at a vehicle in the area which set it alight. Damage was caused to a nearby property, with a woman and two children inside. Downing Street said there could be no justification for the violence in Ballymena. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The disorder we saw in Ballymena is very concerning. 'Obviously, the reports of sexual assault in the area are extremely distressing, but there is no justification for attacks on police officers while they continue to protect local communities. 'PSNI and the justice system must be allowed to carry out their jobs and our thoughts are with the victims of the assault as well as the police officers who were injured.'
Leader Live
8 hours ago
- Leader Live
PSNI use water cannon in Ballymena after petrol bombs thrown at officers
Riot police were deployed around the Clonavon Terrace area on Tuesday night as hundreds of people gathered in the Co Antrim town. PSNI vehicles formed barricades on some roads while riot police wearing armour and carrying shields also responded to the disorder. Some protesters shouted abuse and threw objects at the police, including fireworks, glass bottles and pieces of metal. A car was set on fire near a car wash and tyre centre as part of a number of blazes started by protesters. Police fired plastic baton rounds at some of those gathered and also used water cannons to disperse the crowd. Multiple house windows were smashed during the unrest and the clothing of at least one protester caught fire during the disorder. Many young children were present among those gathered near police lines. Repeatedly using water cannons, PSNI – accompanied by dog units – moved protesters away from Clonavon Terace towards the junction of Bridge Street and North Street near a mural of King William. Some homes in the area displayed signs about the nationalities of those normally resident, including one saying 'British household' and another with 'Filipino lives here'. It comes after violent disorder on Monday, following an earlier peaceful protest in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area. A number of homes and police vehicles were damaged during the riotous behaviour. The scenes of violence in Ballymena, which left 15 police injured on Monday, were described as 'racist thuggery' by a senior officer. Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the force had a significant operation in place over the coming days. He said: 'We are actively working to identify those responsible for last night's racially motivated disorder in Ballymena and bring them to justice. 'Anyone who has information or who can help identify those responsible is asked to contact police on 101.' A 29-year-old man has been charged with riotous behaviour after being arrested during disorder in Ballymena on Monday night. The man, who is due to appear before Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Thursday July 3, has also been charged with disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police. Mr Henderson said other arrests are expected following the examination of video footage. The Prime Minister's official spokesman described the events which saw police and ethnic minorities targeted as 'very concerning'. In Clonavon Terrace, several houses had their windows smashed and two which suffered significant smoke damage remained sealed off on Tuesday. The violence flared following an earlier peaceful protest in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the town at the weekend. Two 14-year-old boys appeared in court on Monday charged with attempted rape. The charges were read to the teenagers by a Romanian interpreter. On Tuesday, the PSNI said it had made a third arrest in connection with the incident and reiterated a public appeal for information. Detective Inspector Olphert from the PSNI's public protection branch said: 'A 28-year-old man was arrested yesterday evening, Monday June 9. 'He has been unconditionally released from police custody following questioning.' Mr Henderson said the attacks should be 'loudly condemned by all right-thinking people'. 'Any attempt to justify or explain it as something else is misplaced,' he said at a press conference at Ballymena police station earlier on Tuesday. He said members of the minority ethnic community 'felt fear' and there will be a significant policing operation in the town in the coming days to reassure the community. 'I would strongly urge anyone who was involved in yesterday's disorder to reflect long and hard about their actions, they will have consequences,' he said. Mr Henderson said that police officers from England and Wales will be brought to Northern Ireland if needed to help the PSNI in the wake of the Ballymena disorder. As part of ongoing inquiries, police are also investigating a report of arson at the Tobar Park area of Cullybackey in the early hours of Tuesday. Shortly after 12.20am, it was reported that a petrol bomb had been thrown at a vehicle in the area which set it alight. Damage was caused to a nearby property, with a woman and two children inside. Downing Street said there could be no justification for the violence in Ballymena. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The disorder we saw in Ballymena is very concerning. 'Obviously, the reports of sexual assault in the area are extremely distressing, but there is no justification for attacks on police officers while they continue to protect local communities. 'PSNI and the justice system must be allowed to carry out their jobs and our thoughts are with the victims of the assault as well as the police officers who were injured.'
