Ballymena riots explained as police call for calm following 'racist thuggery'
Rioters descended on the streets of Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, where they are tearing through a neighbourhood rocked by a recent alleged sexual assault
Riots on the streets have left the quiet town of Ballymena in flames and swarming with armed officers following what police say are the actions of "racist" protesters taking advantage of two recent arrests.
Violence flared in the Northern Irish community, around 30 miles from Belfast, on June 9 following a peaceful vigil at the site of an alleged sexual assault in the Clonavon Terrace area, for which they have arrested and charged two teenage boys. Police have been deployed wearing body armour after initial protests snowballed into chaos, with PSNI officials condemning the actions of people - both locals and people who have arrived in the town from elsewhere - as "racist thuggery", as officers respond with water cannons and rubber truncheons while coming under heavy fire from rioters, who have pelted them with all manner of missiles.
How the violence began
The first protest following the alleged incident came after PSNI said it arrested and charged two boys with attempted rape following an incident on June 7. The pair have appeared before Coleraine Magistrates' Court, where they confirmed their names and ages via a Romanian interpreter, with their solicitor later adding they would deny the charges against them.
A third 28-year-old man arrested in connection with the incident was unconditionally released from police custody following questioning. A vigil was held following the incident which police say was hijacked by bad actors who have stoked "racially motivated" violence, targeting homes and police with fire bombs and masonry after breaking away from the crowd and building barricades.
One property was set on fire, and several cars were left flaming after dozens of masked rioters arrived from outside the town. Police said a pregnant woman was living at one of the homes targeted by the rioters. Local outlets estimated that around 2,500 people have participated in the riots.
Some locals fearing violent retribution have begun labelling their properties with disturbing notices carrying their nationalities. One sign reading "British household" was seen on a local home, with another sporting a sign reading "Filipino lives here".
Officials condemn racism in calls for calm
Police and local officials have been quick to condemn the violence, with PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson saying the violence was a result of "racist thuggery, pure and simple". He told a news conference on Monday night that members of the crowd were "clearly intent on violence" and that some pre-planning may have been involved.
He said: "Last night saw significant sustained disorder in Ballymena. This violence was clearly racially motivated and targeted at our minority ethnic community and police. I want to condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms. It has no place in our society and should be loudly condemned by all right-thinking people."
Liam Kelly, the chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, the body that represents police officers in the home nation, said officers had likely "prevented a pogrom" despite what he said was critical underfunding.
He said: "I have no doubt whatsoever that police officers – far too few, because the service is starved of resources and officer numbers – prevented a pogrom with consequences too painful to contemplate. What we saw was totally mindless, unacceptable and feral."
Locals flee homes in fear of violence
PSNI said in a statement on Wednesday that four homes have been damaged with fire, and three people have been evacuated, with more locals planning to flee in their wake, fearing that the developing violence - which they fear could go on for weeks - could eventually touch theirs and their loved-one's properties.
Among those taking urgent action was one man who told Sky News he was forced to drag his 84-year-old mum "kicking and screaming" from the home in which she has lived for 40 years because he felt the neighbourhood was now unsafe. He said he had "never seen anything like this".
Another family living in the town was forced to retreat to and hide in their attic on Monday night, the first during which violence flared, as their homes were ransacked.
Police come under heavy fire
As well as targeting local homes, rioters have rained fire on police who have been called to respond to the violent incident, with 15 officers left injured, according to PSNI.
The police service said its officers came under "sustained attack" from masked rioters wielding a combination of petrol bombs, fireworks, heavy masonry and bricks.
Northern Irish Justice Minister Naomi Long said she was "appalled" by the violence inflicted on attending officers and locals. She said: "I am absolutely appalled by the disturbing scenes in Ballymena yesterday evening during which PSNI officers were injured, residents terrorised, and properties damaged.
"There is absolutely no place in our society for such disorder and there can be no justification for it."
Police arrest rioters
With riots having now lasted more than two days, police have arrested some people on suspicion of violence, and they expect to take more people into custody in the days to come.
Police have arrested one 29-year-old on suspicion of riotous and disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police. ACCC Henderson expects that more arrests will come in future as investigators continue to review video footage of the riots, adding: "There will be more [arrests] to follow."
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