More police officers hurt during fifth night of violence in Northern Ireland
More police officers were injured as heavy masonry and fireworks were thrown during disorder on Friday night, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said.
A senior officer warned that the force is actively investigating people inciting the disorder through social media.
The scenes on Friday night in Portadown were the fifth consecutive night of rioting in the region after serious disturbances in Ballymena on Monday.
The violence, which followed an alleged sex attack on a teenage girl in the Co Antrim town, has since spread to several other parts of Northern Ireland.
On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of people attended a rally in Belfast city centre which heard calls for greater political leadership in opposing racism.
More than 60 police officers have been hurt during the rioting.
A PSNI spokesperson said: 'Disorder and violence broke out in Portadown with officers coming under sustained attack with heavy masonry and fireworks thrown at them.
'Officers used various public order tactics including water cannon to keep the public safe with no reports of injury to the public or damage to property.'
A United Against Racism rally at Belfast City Hall on Saturday (Brian Lawless/PA
Two males, aged 14 and 20, were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour and remain in custody.
Police in Derry dealt with disorder in the Tullyally area.
A police vehicle was damaged, with the front window smashed.
One male was arrested at around 2.20am and remains in custody.
Damage was caused to playing fields and property in the Killeavey Road area of Newry as a large group set a pitch and bins on fire. One 14-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of riot.
Stones were thrown at the windows of a hotel in the Newtownabbey area and a car was set on fire in the Hesketh Gardens area of Belfast, which police are treating as a racially motivated crime.
More than 60 police officers have been hurt (Brian Lawless/PA)
The disorder started in Ballymena on Monday after an alleged sexual assault of a girl in the town last weekend. Two 14-year-old boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, have been charged with attempted rape.
A peaceful protest about the alleged assault on Monday evening was followed by attacks on properties housing ethnic minorities and police. The PSNI described the scenes as 'racist thuggery'.
Assistant Chief Constable Melanie Jones said: 'It's deeply disturbing to see such young members of our communities involved in and in some areas driving criminal activity like this.
'I would appeal directly to parents and guardians to speak to your children about the impact their behaviour is having on the safety of our local communities and the impact this could have on their lives if arrested, charged and prosecuted.
Assistant Chief Constable Melanie Jones (Liam McBurney/PA)
'We continue to have a heightened presence in our local communities to de-escalate violence and we are making arrests and will continue to make public appeals with photos of suspects.
'Do you want your child, family member or friend directly associated with this disorder in this way? These actions are not without serious consequence.
'I am so grateful to our frontline officers who continue to put themselves at risk in protecting everyone from this hate-motivated criminality.'
Ms Jones added: 'To those posting hate on social media, inciting disorder or being seen to commit disorder, we are actively investigating what you have said and what you have been captured doing.
'We have an ongoing physical and online presence.
Over the remainder of this weekend the public will continue to see a large policing presence across Northern Ireland
'As our investigation continues, we have already released images of four individuals we want to identify and interview in connection with our ongoing investigation.
'In releasing these images, I am asking the wider community to step forward and help us.
'It is in all of our interests, and in the interests of justice, that those responsible are dealt with and I would urge anyone who may have information to bring it forward.
'It is important to know over the remainder of this weekend the public will continue to see a large policing presence across Northern Ireland to reassure our communities and protect our streets.
'This will include the deployment of mutual aid resources from Scotland. These officers, trained to work in our environment, will be working side by side with their PSNI colleagues.
'We repeat, once more, our appeal for calm across Northern Ireland in the coming days.'
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‘Families have fled the country and will never return to Ballymena' – the fallout after a traumatic week in Northern Ireland
Marko Kolev said several members of the Roma community in Ballymena, Co Antrim, have left for mainland Europe after racist rioters burnt out their homes and smashed windows throughout the week. Rioters also set fire to Larne Leisure Centre, which had earlier been used as an emergency centre for those forced out by the racist violence in Ballymena. The families had been relocated before the attack began. Mr Kolev, a businessman and father of three, who is now understood to have left Ireland, spoke to Sunday Life before he and his family fled. 'It's a disaster. It's been really tough, my family has not been doing very well with it all, it has been frightening and stressful to see people from my community being targeted in this way,' he said. 'People's homes being burnt down and windows smashed, it's crazy. It has upset me and my child, who keeps asking me questions about it all: 'Why daddy? Why don't these people like you and me?' 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Violence broke out in Ballymena last Monday after a vigil was held for a teenage girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault at Clonavon Terrace. Earlier that day, two 14-year-old boys, who required a Romanian interpreter, appeared in court charged with attempted rape. Masked rioters threw missiles at officers and a police car was attacked during the disorder, which the PSNI described as racially-motivated. It also said at least 63 officers had been injured. It is an assault on the rule of law and those who put themselves in harm's way to keep us safe The violence began to spread across Northern Ireland as the week progressed. In Portadown there was serious disorder on Thursday and Friday night. Petrol bombs, fireworks, masonry and bottles were thrown at riot police in the Co Armagh town. Shortly before midnight on Friday, the PSNI used a water cannon on the crowd in an effort to disperse those gathered on West Street into other areas. 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More police officers hurt during fifth night of violence in Northern Ireland
More police officers were injured as heavy masonry and fireworks were thrown during disorder on Friday night, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said. A senior officer warned that the force is actively investigating people inciting the disorder through social media. The scenes on Friday night in Portadown were the fifth consecutive night of rioting in the region after serious disturbances in Ballymena on Monday. The violence, which followed an alleged sex attack on a teenage girl in the Co Antrim town, has since spread to several other parts of Northern Ireland. On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of people attended a rally in Belfast city centre which heard calls for greater political leadership in opposing racism. More than 60 police officers have been hurt during the rioting. A PSNI spokesperson said: 'Disorder and violence broke out in Portadown with officers coming under sustained attack with heavy masonry and fireworks thrown at them. 'Officers used various public order tactics including water cannon to keep the public safe with no reports of injury to the public or damage to property.' A United Against Racism rally at Belfast City Hall on Saturday (Brian Lawless/PA Two males, aged 14 and 20, were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour and remain in custody. Police in Derry dealt with disorder in the Tullyally area. A police vehicle was damaged, with the front window smashed. One male was arrested at around 2.20am and remains in custody. Damage was caused to playing fields and property in the Killeavey Road area of Newry as a large group set a pitch and bins on fire. One 14-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of riot. Stones were thrown at the windows of a hotel in the Newtownabbey area and a car was set on fire in the Hesketh Gardens area of Belfast, which police are treating as a racially motivated crime. More than 60 police officers have been hurt (Brian Lawless/PA) The disorder started in Ballymena on Monday after an alleged sexual assault of a girl in the town last weekend. Two 14-year-old boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, have been charged with attempted rape. A peaceful protest about the alleged assault on Monday evening was followed by attacks on properties housing ethnic minorities and police. The PSNI described the scenes as 'racist thuggery'. Assistant Chief Constable Melanie Jones said: 'It's deeply disturbing to see such young members of our communities involved in and in some areas driving criminal activity like this. 'I would appeal directly to parents and guardians to speak to your children about the impact their behaviour is having on the safety of our local communities and the impact this could have on their lives if arrested, charged and prosecuted. Assistant Chief Constable Melanie Jones (Liam McBurney/PA) 'We continue to have a heightened presence in our local communities to de-escalate violence and we are making arrests and will continue to make public appeals with photos of suspects. 'Do you want your child, family member or friend directly associated with this disorder in this way? These actions are not without serious consequence. 'I am so grateful to our frontline officers who continue to put themselves at risk in protecting everyone from this hate-motivated criminality.' Ms Jones added: 'To those posting hate on social media, inciting disorder or being seen to commit disorder, we are actively investigating what you have said and what you have been captured doing. 'We have an ongoing physical and online presence. Over the remainder of this weekend the public will continue to see a large policing presence across Northern Ireland 'As our investigation continues, we have already released images of four individuals we want to identify and interview in connection with our ongoing investigation. 'In releasing these images, I am asking the wider community to step forward and help us. 'It is in all of our interests, and in the interests of justice, that those responsible are dealt with and I would urge anyone who may have information to bring it forward. 'It is important to know over the remainder of this weekend the public will continue to see a large policing presence across Northern Ireland to reassure our communities and protect our streets. 'This will include the deployment of mutual aid resources from Scotland. These officers, trained to work in our environment, will be working side by side with their PSNI colleagues. 'We repeat, once more, our appeal for calm across Northern Ireland in the coming days.' Read More Northern Ireland one petrol bomb away from a racist murder, Belfast rally hears
