Ballymena riots: Fires rage as protests over alleged assault fuel anti-immigrant unrest in Northern Ireland

Time of India

a day ago

More than 30 police officers have been injured in Northern Ireland after two nights of violent rioting in Ballymena, triggered by the court appearance of two 14-year-old boys charged with the attempted sexual assault of a teenage girl.
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The unrest, which police described as 'hate-fuelled acts and mob rule,' has targeted homes, businesses and vehicles prompting fears of further escalation across the region.
The violence began Monday, shortly after the accused teens appeared in court and denied the charges through a Romanian interpreter. The case has inflamed anti-immigrant sentiments in the town of about 31,000 people, amplified by far-right social media accounts that celebrated the riots and shared live footage.
By Tuesday night, police in Ballymena came under 'sustained attack' from rioters using petrol bombs, bricks, and fireworks. Seventeen officers were injured that night alone, while by Wednesday, the total number of injured officers had risen to 32. A pregnant woman had to be evacuated from a burning home, local politician Sian Mulholland told BBC's Good Morning Ulster.
'People are waking up today feeling genuine fear for their lives and their livelihoods,' said Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
'We have seen a number of calls over social media for protest activity this evening... It can be difficult to assess how much and where that will be.'
Clonavon Terrace, the epicentre of the unrest, was quiet by Wednesday afternoon, but its charred remains spoke volumes: smashed windows, burned-out furniture, and flags on homes identifying the nationalities of those inside. One sign read, 'British household,' a symbol of fear within immigrant communities trying to avoid becoming targets.
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Police have declared the attacks on four homes, believed to be racially motivated, as hate crimes. 'When I watch families having their doors kicked in who happen to be from our diverse communities, I have to call that out for the racist behaviour that it is,' Henderson said.
The riots quickly spread beyond Ballymena. Protesters blocked roads and clashed with police in Belfast, Newtownabbey, and Carrickfergus. In response, officers in riot gear deployed water cannon and fired non-lethal rounds known as attenuated energy projectiles.
Cars were set alight, bins torched, and masonry hurled at officers. Police are now requesting reinforcements from mainland Britain to cope with the unrest.
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill called the attacks 'abhorrent,' adding, 'No one, now or ever, should feel the need to place a sticker on their door to identify their ethnicity just to avoid being targeted.'
The British and Irish governments also condemned the violence. 'This appalling violence and vandalism must cease immediately,' said UK Northern Ireland Minister Hilary Benn, warning that those responsible would face justice.