Olympic swimmer speaks of devastation after attack on leisure centre
On the third night of disorder on the streets of Ballymena, masked youths attacked Larne Leisure Centre, around 20 miles away, under the impression it was housing immigrant families who had been affected by violence.
On Thursday morning, the leisure centre was described as closed until further notice while the damage is assessed.
Danielle Hill, who competed in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and the 2020 Games in Tokyo, spoke of her sadness at events in the town that 'I have proudly represented on the world stage'.
Hill, who is a member of Larne Swimming Club and also coaches younger children at the club, said the leisure centre was a safe space for many people.
'No child should ever be forced to witness masked men in their home community,' she said.
'The local leisure centre is a safe place for so many, from young children (as young as six) learning to swim to elderly residents, has now been transformed into a place marked by fear and trauma.
'What unfolded last night was not just violence – it was racism in its rawest and most dangerous form. Young people seeking 'fun' in a senseless act of vandalism.
'And its consequences are already being felt; a local community torn apart, families left frightened, workers left without incomes.
'The harm is not abstract – it is here, it is local and it is devastating.'
She also called for rebuilding.
'This is a moment to come together, not fall apart,' she said.
'Let's keep talking. Let's keep listening. As we have done so many times before, let's lead with compassion, stand up for one another and show the strength of our community through our support – for every child and every family that calls this centre a home. Time to rebuild.'
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BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Families hid in attics during 'race motivated' disorder, says chief constable
Families hid in attics and wardrobes during violent disorder in Ballymena, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable has comes following three days of violence in Ballymena, and some other towns, in which 41 officers were injured and 13 people disorder began on Monday after a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in the County Antrim Boutcher described the disorder as "wanton, disgraceful, criminal behaviour that is absolutely race motivated". Mr Boutcher said after a peaceful protest was "hijacked" on Monday evening, police and the fire service had to help families "who have done nothing wrong".He added that: "We stand absolutely shoulder to shoulder with the diverse communities in Northern Ireland. "These bigots and racists will not win the day."The first protest was organised hours after two teenage boys appeared before Coleraine Magistrates' spoke through an interpreter in Romanian to confirm their names and ages. Their solicitor said they would be denying the Boutcher said the family of the young girl wanted the violence to stop."She's been further traumatised by what has happened over the last three nights," he said. The worst of the disorder took place in Ballymena, mainly in the Clonavon Terrace have described the disorder as "racist thuggery, pure and simple" and targeted at ethnic minorities and law the three days in Ballymena, police officers came under sustained attack with petrol bombs, heavy masonry, bricks and fireworks thrown in their Boutcher called on those involved to stop and warned that there will be prosecutions. "Don't come out onto the streets tonight. If you do we will police you, and we will deal with you through the criminal justice system.""We'll be releasing images of those responsible. We will be going after them." On Wednesday, the PSNI confirmed that a significant number of extra police officers were being deployed into areas Scotland has agreed to send officers, after police in Northern Ireland requested extra support under mutual aid deployment will involve an undisclosed number of public order officers trained to police civil Larne, masked youths attacked a leisure centre and set it on fire on Wednesday. The centre had been providing emergency shelter for families following the clashes earlier in the week, the council have also been incidents in Larne, Carrickfergus, Coleraine, north Belfast and Newtownabbey. Olympic swimmer Danielle Hill, who competed in both the Paris and Tokyo Games, has condemned the attack on Larne Leisure Hill, who swims for team Ireland, was at the facility when the attacks took place. She said: "I went to move my car, and four masked men walked around the corner, and I thought, okay, this is time to go."The 25-year-old said: "This isn't what we want. There are kids involved. And it's my duty to care and protect those guys so I made the decision then to cancel my session."As I went back inside to clear my stuff and clear all the kids and make sure they were picked up, I came back outside and there were people in balaclavas standing around the corner. "I got a phone call from a family friend to say that if I hadn't already, I should leave. I instantly rang our duty manager and spoke to a child protection officer inside and told them to evacuate." Ms Hill said: "I mean, it's sad. It's awful. I lay awake last night. When there's kids involved it's upsetting. It shouldn't be happening. There was no need for the violence."As a club, we're deeply saddened that It got to that stage and that those kids had the witness what they did."We can only hope that one day they will come back and that this isn't a place of fear for them and that it is that safe place where they can go and be kids."In a statement, a council spokesperson said they're "assessing the significant damage" and that "the centre remains closed". A housing association has warned its residents to leave their homes and take measures to protect their properties ahead of a planned protest in County Housing in Portadown sent a letter to its residents stating Thursday's demonstration in the town is "directed towards migrants, foreign nationals, and what are perceived as deviant behaviour".The letter added that the demonstration could lead to an "unsafe situation" and advised them to "stay with family or friends during the protest".The police have said they are aware of social media posts calling for protests across Northern Ireland on Thursday evening and in the week Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said: "We urge anyone who plans to attend these protests to engage with us as we will be doing our part to ensure the safety of participants and to facilitate the lawful exercise of freedom of expression."Police will not tolerate a repeat of the scenes we saw last night in Ballymena and other parts of Northern Ireland," he added. "We will continue to diligently monitor the situation."
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Police chief to give update after third night of disorder in Northern Ireland
Update: Date: 15:47 BST Title: Olympic swimmer told people to evacuate Larne Leisure Centre Content: Olympic swimmer Danielle Hill, who trains at Larne Leisure Centre, described the attack as not just violence, but "racism in its rawest and most dangerous form". Hill, who takes a weekly group swimming session, arrived at the centre at 19:00 BST yesterday. "This is our club night, so one of the busiest nights of the week," she told BBC News NI. After cancelling her session, when she saw masked men approaching the centre, Hill told people to evacuate. "I lay awake last night, when there is kids involved it's upsetting and it shouldn't be happening," she said. She hopes that the children who were present will not be afraid to come back to the leisure centre. Hill represented Ireland at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics. Update: Date: 15:37 BST Title: Trouble feels more organised - reporter tells State of Us podcast Content: This video can not be played Lyndsey Telford describes being on the ground during violence disorder in Ballymena What is happening in Ballymena? On an extra episode of BBC News NI's The State of Us podcast, Tara and Declan speak to reporter Lyndsey Telford who has been on the ground during the violence and disorder in Northern Ireland. Listen to The State of Us by clicking here. Update: Date: 15:33 BST Title: What happened in Larne last night? Content: This video can not be played Leisure centre was set on fire in third night of violence in Northern Ireland The worst of last night's disorder was in Ballymena, but unrest also spread to other towns. In Larne, about 20 miles (30km) from Ballymena, masked youths attacked a leisure centre and set it on fire. The centre had been providing emergency shelter for families following the clashes earlier this week. Police left the area after masked young people threw objects at vehicles, but later officers in riot gear returned to the scene. A crowd of about 50 people watched a dozen or so individuals target the centre. Fire damage was contained mainly to the front reception but there was extensive smoke damage, the fire service said. In a statement, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said the families placed at the centre had all been "safely relocated" and were no longer using the centre. Update: Date: 15:23 BST Title: Rioters will be 'dealt with robustly' says judge Content: Earlier today, a judge warned that anyone involving themselves in the ongoing 'despicable' rioting 'will be dealt with robustly". Speaking as he remanded four teenagers into custody, District Judge Nigel Broderick said that 'where there is credible and reliable evidence' against anyone arrested in the ongoing disorder, 'there is a high likelihood they will be refused bail and if convicted, they will face lengthy sentence.' The judge issued the warning at Ballymena Magistrates Court where the teenagers appeared in the dock charged with riot. Update: Date: 15:12 BST Title: Three nights of violence - timeline recap Content: 9 June: Two teenage boys appear in court charged with an alleged sexual assault of a girl in the Ballymena. They spoke through a Romanian interpreter to confirm their names and ages - their solicitor said they would be denying the charges. 9 June evening: Hundreds held a peaceful protest related to the court case but violence later broke out when people threw petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks at police, and damaged properties. Police called it "racist thuggery", targeting ethnic minorities and law enforcement. 10 June: During a second night of riots, police fired baton rounds and used a water cannon to disperse protesters in Ballymena as cars were set on fire and windows of several houses were smashed. Police also dealt with incidents in Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus in County Antrim and north Belfast - 32 officers were injured and six people arrested over the two nights. 11 June: Violence spread to other towns like Larne - about 20 miles (30km) from Ballymena - where masked youths attacked a leisure centre and set it on fire. The town was providing emergency shelter for families following the clashes in Ballymena. Update: Date: 15:02 BST Title: Filipino woman flies Union Jack flag from window to avoid attacks Content: Yelena, who is Filipino and moved to Ballymena last year, tells the BBC: 'To feel safe I put a Union Jack flag outside my window, since then the building hasn't been attacked.' She says she had considered putting up a Filipino flag but her local friends told her she might still be attacked. She didn't expect trouble to start where she lives, but it escalated from a small gathering to setting bonfires, throwing petrol bombs, and throwing stones, bricks and glass bottles at her windows. 'I'm doing OK but still a bit traumatised,' she says. 'I don't want to leave Ballymena, I just want everyone to be educated on migrants - not all those here are illegal. 'I want to go back to work and have peaceful nights.' Update: Date: 14:51 BST Title: Why are the riots in Northern Ireland happening? Content: Police aim a water cannon at demonstrators as riots continued in Ballymena on Wednesday The violence in parts of Northern Ireland is described as being racially-motivated by officials, with police calling it "racist thuggery targeted at ethnic minorities and police officers". It started on Monday 9 June, after two 14-year-old boys appeared in court after an alleged serious sexual assault on a teenage girl in Ballymena, County Antrim, on Saturday 7 June. The teenagers, who confirmed their names and ages through a Romanian interpreter, are charged with attempted oral rape, which they deny. That evening, a peaceful protest was held when hundreds marched close to the town centre, before things turned violent and youths with their faces covered attacked police and a number of houses. The first two nights of violence saw 32 police officers injured after being attacked with fireworks, bottles and bricks, and six arrested. Videos on social media have shown houses being attacked with families still inside - signs outlining residents' nationalities have been put up on some doors. Violence spread to the nearby town of Larne - when masked youths attacked a leisure centre and set it on fire - which had been sheltering families caught up in the disorder earlier in the week. Update: Date: 14:44 BST Title: Police to give update after three nights of Northern Ireland riots Content: Welcome to our live coverage. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) will shortly give an update after a third night of violence in parts of Northern Ireland. The riots started on Monday, after a planned peaceful protest in response to an alleged serious sexual assault in Ballymena, in County Antrim on Saturday evening. On Monday, two teenage boys appeared in court and confirmed their names and ages through a Romanian interpreter. The two 14-year-olds denied the charges against them. Since then, violence has spread to other towns, 32 police officers have been injured and authorities have struggled to keep the peace. You can follow the police press conference at 15:30 BST by pressing watch live at the top of this page, and we'll bring you text updates here.
North Wales Chronicle
a day ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Olympic swimmer speaks of devastation after attack on leisure centre
On the third night of disorder on the streets of Ballymena, masked youths attacked Larne Leisure Centre, around 20 miles away, under the impression it was housing immigrant families who had been affected by violence. On Thursday morning, the leisure centre was described as closed until further notice while the damage is assessed. Danielle Hill, who competed in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and the 2020 Games in Tokyo, spoke of her sadness at events in the town that 'I have proudly represented on the world stage'. Hill, who is a member of Larne Swimming Club and also coaches younger children at the club, said the leisure centre was a safe space for many people. 'No child should ever be forced to witness masked men in their home community,' she said. 'The local leisure centre is a safe place for so many, from young children (as young as six) learning to swim to elderly residents, has now been transformed into a place marked by fear and trauma. 'What unfolded last night was not just violence – it was racism in its rawest and most dangerous form. Young people seeking 'fun' in a senseless act of vandalism. 'And its consequences are already being felt; a local community torn apart, families left frightened, workers left without incomes. 'The harm is not abstract – it is here, it is local and it is devastating.' She also called for rebuilding. 'This is a moment to come together, not fall apart,' she said. 'Let's keep talking. Let's keep listening. As we have done so many times before, let's lead with compassion, stand up for one another and show the strength of our community through our support – for every child and every family that calls this centre a home. Time to rebuild.'
