Tensions in Ballymena building for some time, MP says after police attacked
Tensions which erupted into violence on the streets of Ballymena have been building for some time, local MP Jim Allister has said.
Police have appealed for calm after serious disorder broke out in the Co Antrim town on Monday night, with masked youths attacking police and properties damaged.
North Antrim MP Mr Allister said tensions had been growing over immigration, adding that the violence followed a peaceful protest in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the town at the weekend.
Two 14-year-old boys appeared in court on Monday charged with attempted rape. The charges were read to the teenagers by a Romanian interpreter.
Monday's violence occurred in the Clonavon Terrace area with social media footage showing protesters burning plastic road barriers and bins as part of a barricade on the street.
Some masked individuals also threw missiles including cans of paint and glass bottles at PSNI vehicles.
A line of police vehicles advanced towards the protesters followed by officers on foot.
Firefighters later responded to the burning debris on the road and inspected a nearby house which had filled with smoke.
Other footage appeared to show some protesters targeting houses by smashing windows.
TUV leader Mr Allister said: 'Within Ballymena there has been rising concerns about the sheer scale of migration into the town and that would have been a factor in the wholly peaceful protest.
'All that to be distinguished from the wanton violence which then followed, with obviously a minority of that peaceful crowd wanting to take advantage of that to visit violence which wasn't wanted or warranted, hence the scenes that we saw.
'It is very distressing to see scenes of violence on the streets of Ballymena.'
Mr Allister said tensions have been building in the town 'for a considerable period of time'.
He added: 'It is easier to start than to stop these things. There has been a bit of authorities not wanting to face up to the racial background of some of this over the years.
'That unchecked migration which is beyond what the town can cope with, is a source of past and future tensions; that is the reality of it.'
'Those who came onto the street last night in the main had a perfectly legitimate purpose and cause of being there.'
Mr Allister said he had spoken to the family of the girl who was the victim of the alleged sexual assault and they did not want to see violent scenes.
He said: 'Sadly the narrative has been diverted, and it has been diverted by those who wrongly and foolishly involved in violence and made the story something that what it otherwise should be.
'My message is the violence should stop. The concerns are there, I am certainly aware of them, I hear them and there needs now to be a period of calm and justice needs to take its course.'
In a statement on Monday night, the PSNI said a number of missiles had been thrown towards police with damage reported to a number of properties.
It said officers would remain in the area to monitor the situation.
Chief Superintendent Sue Steen said: 'We are urging everyone to remain calm and to act responsibly. Violence and disorder will only place people at greater risk.
'Our priority is to keep the community safe, and I would appeal to everyone to work with us to bring calm to the area as quickly as possible.'
The PSNI asked anyone with information to contact them on 101 or online via psni.police.uk/makeareport. Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.
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Often our clients have backgrounds in the care system, sometimes in the military. Often people are leaving a government institution – they might be discharged from hospital, or be being moved on from the asylum system, or they might have left prison. 'I can't see how criminalising someone is helpful. We see the numbers of people coming out of the criminal justice system into homelessness. Feeding them back into the criminal justice system for being homeless, or feeding people who are homeless for other reasons back into the justice system, seems entirely counterproductive.' Proposed new offences target aggressive beggars and gangs, rather than individuals. The cautionary example of the US, however, shows what can happen when authorities have insufficient powers to disperse rough sleepers. The knottier issue at the heart of legislation is that many people don't think camping ought to be illegal and have great sympathy for those who find themselves homeless, even if they object to the sight of tent cities in some of London's most prestigious areas. The legal fudges reflect this Nimbyism. It also means that as a political issue, rough sleeping will not be moving along any time soon. Additional reporting by Ollie Corfe Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
