Ballymena: Police say people living in fear due to senseless violence
People woke up on Wednesday "feeling genuine fear for their lives and their livelihoods", Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson has said.This comes after two days of violence in Ballymena in which 32 officers have been injured and six people arrested.The disorder began on Monday after a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in the County Antrim town.ACC Henderson said said the violence was "racist thuggery targeted at ethnic minorities and police officers".
The first protest was organised hours after two teenage boys appeared before Coleraine Magistrates' Court.They spoke through an interpreter in Romanian to confirm their names and ages. Their solicitor said they would be denying the charges.ACC Henderson said: "This violence only serves to undermine the criminal investigation and cause further distress and turmoil to a young victim and her family."This violence threatens to derail the very pursuit of justice it claims to challenge."ACC Henderson also said communities were impacted as "vital resources" were redirected. Police said there have also been sporadic incidents of disorder in Carrickfergus, north Belfast and Newtownabbey, where one man was arrested. One man, 29, has been charged with riotous behaviour, disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police after Monday's violence.The worst of the disorder took place in Ballymena, mainly in the Clonavon Terrace area. Police officers came under sustained attack over a number of hours with multiple petrol bombs, heavy masonry, bricks and fireworks thrown in their direction.
Authorised officers discharged a number of Attenuating Energy Projectiles (AEPs) and a water cannon was also deployed in an attempt to disperse the crowds.Businesses and homes were attacked and damaged and a number of vehicles were also set on fire in the area.Some homes in Ballymena began to display stickers outlining the residents' nationalities. Signs which read "British household" and "Filipino lives here" could be seen on some doors.A clean-up operation commenced on Wednesday, with debris and burning items being cleared from the roads. Scorch marks and melted bins could be seen on the streets.
'Pure racism'
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he "utterly condemns" the violence.First Minister Michelle O'Neill said what was happening in Ballymena was "pure racism, there's no other way to dress it up".Meanwhile, the Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said the violence was "serving no purpose whatsoever" and was only damaging communities.The PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher described the disorder as "mindless violence"."These criminal acts not only endanger lives but also risk undermining the ongoing criminal justice process led by the PSNI in support of a victim who deserves truth, justice, and protection."
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