Ballymena riots which left 15 cops injured branded ‘racist thuggery' with major op to stem new chaos after boys in court
A MOTHER who lives in one of the houses attacked during violence in Ballymena said she had been left too scared to stay in the area.
The mother-of-three said her children were asking why their house was being attacked
5
A Ballymena resident said she's too scared to stay in the area following the riots
Credit: Pacemaker
5
Firefighters attended the scene after two homes were set alight
Credit: Pacemaker
5
People wearing masks threw masonry and other missiles
Credit: Pacemaker
Her comments come after
Several properties were damaged on Clonavon Terrace in
The violent scenes in the area left 15 police injured and a number of cops cars damaged.
The violence followed an earlier protest in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged
READ MORE IN NEWS
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.
The PA news agency spoke to a number of residents of houses in the street on Tuesday who said they now intended to leave the area.
The woman, who said she was too afraid to give her name, said she tried to flee her house after the front window was broken.
Most read in Irish News
She said: 'The children were asking me why are we being attacked.
'I don't want to stay here now, the children are afraid and I am afraid.'
'POGRAM PREVENTED'
In the aftermath of the rioting, the chairman of the Police Federation said the actions of PSNI officers saved lives and 'prevented a pogrom with consequences too painful to contemplate'.
Liam Kelly, the head of the group that represents rank and file PSNI officers, said cops faced attacks which were 'totally mindless, unacceptable and feral'.
Mr Kelly said: 'Once again, our colleagues were caught up trying to quell hate-filled violence on our streets.
'Officers who were trying to protect life and property came under unjustified sustained attack.
'All right-minded people should utterly condemn these actions and provide information and assistance to the PSNI so they can identify those who engaged in the various lawless acts of thuggery.
'Officers' injuries tell a frightening story of a mob fully intent on inflicting great harm on people.
'Police officers worked tirelessly to defuse a potentially explosive situation and uphold the law.'
'MINDLESS VIOLENCE'
Mr Kelly said the officers had suffered 'for their courageous and professional interventions'.
He added: 'This was mindless violence and thuggery.
'Officers were under great pressure but, to their credit, they restored order over a prolonged period of unrest.
'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.
'I wish to commend the men and women of the PSNI who undoubtedly saved lives last night.
"I would appeal for calm, and request that there is no repeat of these shocking images in the town or the lawless acts of intimidation of anyone in our community."
'FELT FEAR'
PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the force would have a significant operation in place over the coming days in case there was any repeat of the disturbances.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the attacks should be 'loudly condemned by all right thinking people'.
Speaking at a press conference at Ballymena police station, he said: 'Any attempt to justify or explain it as something else is misplaced."
He said that members of the minority ethnic community 'felt fear' and there will be a significant policing operation in the town in the coming days to reassure the community.
'All right-minded people should utterly condemn these actions and provide information and assistance to the PSNI so they can identify those who engaged in the various lawless acts of thuggery."
Liam Kelly
chairman of the Police Federation
He said one arrest has been made and more will follow, as video and online footage is examined.
The 29-year-old arrested has been charged with riotous behaviour, disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police.
He is due to before Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Thursday.
Mr Henderson said: 'I would strongly urge anyone who was involved in yesterday's disorder to reflect long and hard about their actions, they will have consequences."
VIOLENT SCENES
Mr Henderson said that police officers from England and Wales will be brought to Northern Ireland if needed to help the PSNI in the wake of the Ballymena disorder.
He said: 'Should I need any additionality, I'm absolutely assured that my colleagues in policing in England and Wales, the National Police Operation Centre, stand fast and ready to support should we need that support.'
The senior officer said police did not have specific intelligence that there would be a repeat of the violent
PLANNED VIGIL
A PSNI spokesperson said: 'At around 7.30pm, a planned vigil gathered in the Galgorm Road area before making its way towards Larne Street, onto Wakehurt Road and then down Queen Street.
'The vigil was initially peaceful as it made its way towards the Clonavon Terrace area of Ballymena.
'Officers were present at the vigil to ensure an appropriate and proportionate policing response, due to the large number of people who had gathered in the area.
'A number of masked individuals then broke away from the vigil and began to build barricades, stockpiling missiles and attacking properties in the Clonavon Terrace area.
'Elements of the crowd then turned on to police and attacked officers with petrol bombs and masonry.
'This disorder was sustained and continued in the vicinity of Galgorm Street, Linenhall Street and Larne Road Link in the vicinity of the Braid.'
COPS ATTACKED
The statement added: 'Police officers came under sustained attack over a number of hours with multiple petrol bombs, fireworks, heavy masonry and bricks thrown in their direction by masked rioters.
'Fifteen officers were injured with some requiring hospital treatment.
'Two police vehicles were also damaged during the disorder.
'A number of homes and businesses were damaged with windows and doors smashed. Four houses were damaged by fire with three people evacuated.
'The attacks on these properties are being investigated as racially motivated hate attacks.
'Windows were also smashed of several business units in Galgorm Parks in the early hours.
'In total, six properties in Clonavon Terrace have sustained damage to windows and doors during the disorder."
OTHER ARSON
As part of ongoing inquiries, police are also investigating a report of arson at the Tobar Park area of Cullybackey in the early hours of Tuesday.
Shortly after 12.20am, it was reported that a petrol bomb had been thrown at a vehicle in the area which set it alight.
Damage was caused to a nearby property, with a woman and two children inside.
5
Cops and riot officers were among those deployed to the scene
Credit: Pacemaker
5
Police stayed in the area overnight to monitor the situation
Credit: Pacemaker
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Ballymena riots: Leisure centre attacked, petrol bombs thrown in third night of violence
Petrol bombs, a hatchet and masonry were among items thrown at police during a third consecutive night of disorder in Ballymena . Officers responded with water cannon, dogs and plastic baton rounds in an attempt to disperse crowds in the Co Antrim town. Unrest spread to other towns on Wednesday, including Coleraine and Larne, 30 minutes away from Ballymena – where the leisure centre was set on fire by masked vandals who also smashed windows. The facility had temporarily been used as emergency shelter for those in urgent need following disturbances in Ballymena earlier in the week. READ MORE Larne Leisure Centre was targeted on Wednesday evening as a third night of unrest unfolds Several arrests have been made and dozens of police officers have been injured during the sustained unrest in Ballymena, which also saw multiple properties and vehicles set on fire. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, who highlighted the use of the leisure centre in a social media post, said all those who had been staying at the leisure centre are in the care of the Housing Executive and have been moved out of Larne. SLDP MLA Matthew O'Toole, the leader of the opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly, said he would refer Mr Lyons to the standards commission following the fire. Police officers on Clonavon Road in Ballymena following a second night of violence in Ballymena, during a protest over an alleged sexual assault in the Co Antrim town. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire In the town, the PSNI deployed riot police for a third night in a row as hundreds gathered around the Clonavon Terrace area. At least one protester was struck by plastic baton rounds fired by police while officers also used a water cannon on the crowd. Officers also used dog units and drones in their response to the gathering. Riot police with shields advanced on the crowd to disperse them down Bridge Street onto other roadways. They came under sustained attack as those participating in disorder hurled petrol bombs, masonry and fireworks at police vehicles and officers standing nearby. Rioters smashed the windows of a house on North Street and set multiple fires on streets in the surrounding area. The disorder and stand-off with police continued past midnight. Elsewhere, social media footage appeared to show an established fire on train tracks running through Coleraine. Earlier, a senior officer said the PSNI had requested support from colleagues in the rest of the UK following further violence in Ballymena. The PSNI have also noted scenes of disorder in Belfast, Lisburn, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey earlier in the week, as businesses, homes and cars were attacked and damaged. By Wednesday, six individuals had been arrested for public order offences, and one charged. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he 'utterly condemns' violence which left 32 police officers injured after the second night of disturbances. PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has warned the rioting 'risks undermining' the criminal justice process into an allegation of a sex attack on a teenage girl in Ballymena at the weekend. Stormont ministers have also made an urgent appeal for calm and said the justice process had to be allowed to take its course. First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly appeared together on Wednesday to voice their condemnation. Sinn Fein vice-president Ms O'Neill told reporters in Belfast: 'It's pure racism, there is no other way to dress it up.' Ms Little-Pengelly described the scenes in Ballymena as 'unacceptable thuggery'. With the protests focused in predominantly loyalist areas in Ballymena, Ms O'Neill said she did not believe it would be helpful for her to visit in the current context. DUP MLA Ms Little-Pengelly met residents in the town on Wednesday and said the local community are in fear and wanted the violence to stop. 'The key message here today is around that violence, and that the violence needs to stop, that's what the community wants to put across, and that's why I'm here to send that very clear and united message from right throughout the community and local residents for that to stop,' she said. The violence began around Clonavon Terrace on Monday night following an earlier peaceful protest which was organised in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area. Two teenage boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, have been charged. - Press Association
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
The DUP couldn't have chosen a worse moment to get tough on immigration
Hours before racist violence broke out in Ballymena on Monday night, the Democratic Unionist Party ( DUP ) had warned that the north Antrim town was on a knife-edge over immigration . In a statement to the Assembly , North Antrim DUP representative Paul Frew reminded members he had told them weeks ago people in his constituency were 'living in fear'. There had since been two serious sexual assaults on teenage girls, sending 'shock waves through Ballymena and further afield', he said, yet there was no sign of immigration-related problems being addressed by police, councils, Stormont or Westminster. On the same day in Stormont, other DUP members made statements about immigration in general and its impact in their areas. The party has clearly decided to adopt a more hardline stance on the issue, with what now looks like appalling timing. On Tuesday, 17 Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers were injured during a second night of unrest. [ Ballymena unrest: Those involved have nothing to offer but 'division and disorder', North's political parties say Opens in new window ] The DUP cannot be held responsible for the violence, however, and will have been genuinely alarmed by it. A change in position it was pursuing with some caution will now be seen to require more caution, yet also to be more urgent. Whatever approach the DUP takes to that conundrum, it is set to become the first major party on the island of Ireland to diverge from the political consensus on immigration. READ MORE The focus of the DUP's Assembly statements on Monday was north Belfast, which has experienced visible demographic change in recent years, partly driven by a new British government policy of moving asylum seekers out of hotels into the community. Phillip Brett, a DUP MLA for North Belfast, said the private rental market is 'out of control' as a result, with his constituents being evicted as landlords take contracts with Mears, the company managing asylum accommodation. This was acknowledged by DUP communities minister Gordon Lyons, whose remit includes housing. He chided other Assembly members for pretending the problem does not exist. 'The worst thing we can do is ignore it,' he warned. The DUP promoted these statements on social media, where it was also promoting a campaign on Monday by its Belfast councillors to protect playgrounds from indecent behaviour. This follows a recent alleged incident in north Belfast, for which an asylum seeker has been charged. All three main unionist parties are now tiny organisations, unable to project much presence on the ground, let alone exercise authority On all of these concerns, the DUP is not leading its voters but desperately trying to keep up with them. Brexit has destroyed its reputation for competence and shattered the unionist bloc vote it once won by default. If it is seen to be failing its supporters on another issue they care about deeply, large numbers of them will simply abandon it. The party is already a shadow of its former self. Frew may be personally popular in north Antrim but he is the DUP's only remaining Assembly member in what was its electoral heartland. Ian Paisley sensationally lost the constituency's Westminster seat to the TUV last year. Brexit also cost the DUP its Westminster seat in North Belfast, lost to Sinn Féin in 2019. Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly of the DUP speaks to local residents during a visit to Clonavon Terrace following a second night of violence in Ballymena this week. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire Dismayed to see further disorder last night. Violence is always wrong. I have been in constant contact throughout last night with PSNI and in contact with local elected representatives. This disorder and violence must stop and justice be allowed to prevail. — Emma Little-Pengelly BL (@little_pengelly) Before the disorder broke out on Monday night, an estimated 2,500 Ballymena residents had held a tense but peaceful protest in support of the assault victims. Unionist politicians were present but scarcely visible: the protest had been organised organically via social media. All three main unionist parties are now tiny organisations, unable to project much presence on the ground, let alone exercise authority. Posting Assembly statements online may look like a pathetic attempt to regain relevance. Nevertheless, breaking the consensus on immigration will have knock-on effects throughout northern politics, with a secondary impact on the south via Sinn Féin. The DUP wants to set itself apart from other parties on this issue, as Lyons's chiding showed. It competes for votes with the TUV, UUP and Alliance; all three will have to decide whether and by how much to adjust their positions. The DUP could struggle to maintain its own position. Most of its statements so far have been measured and responsible, and it is correct that problems are being foolishly ignored. However, the party leadership is generally more moderate than its members and many of its elected representatives. It could find it has unleashed sentiments that carry it swiftly to the right. Nationalist parties must decide how to handle an emerging orange/green divide on immigration. Lauding nationalist tolerance over unionist intolerance is itself rather obviously divisive. The SDLP has little to lose by sticking to its principles but Sinn Féin is more exposed, as the immigration pressures it is wrestling with in the Republic are starting to affect its constituents north of the Border. Demographic change in north Belfast reached nationalist neighbourhoods first because they are closer to the city centre and have more suitable accommodation. Although this has gone remarkably smoothly, there have inevitably been some problems. Sinn Féin's response to this will be greatly complicated by the DUP raising the same problems streets away. Immigration and the asylum system are not devolved, so every party at Stormont can complain about it without accepting any blame. There is always the hope they can unite around that.
The Journal
10 hours ago
- The Journal
Leisure centre in Larne set alight by rioters as violence extends beyond Ballymena
LAST UPDATE | 20 mins ago A LEISURE CENTRE in Larne in Northern Ireland has been set on fire by rioters as violence seen in Ballymena over the last two nights spreads to other areas. Footage shared online shows masked individuals smashing windows and setting fires outside Larne Leisure Centre. The fire has since been brought under control, according to the local fire service. Alliance MLA Danny Donnelly said: 'Larne does not need this.' Police have been deployed for a third night in a row in Ballymena. The Belfast Telegraph has reported that police are also at the scene of disorder in Coleraine , where footage online has shown bins set alight near a train track. Larne leisure centre has been attacked by masked thugs. Windows smashed and fires lit nearby. Larne does not need this. — Danny Donnelly MLA (@DannyDonnelly1) June 11, 2025 Ulster Unionist Party MLA John Stewart described the events in Larne as 'despicable and disgraceful' 'The violence, vandalism, and intimidation seen this evening have absolutely no place in our society,' Stewart said. Advertisement He said the leisure centre is a 'vital community asset at the very heart of Larne' and that 'to see it targeted in such a senseless and deliberate manner is both truly shocking and deeply saddening'. Riot police have been deployed to different parts of Antrim, including in Larne (pictured) this evening. Alamy Alamy The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has deployed riot police in Ballymena for the third consecutive night as a significant crowd gathered around the Clonavon Terrace area. Demonstrators who gathered on Bridge Street near the residential area were told to disperse shortly before 9pm after a firework was thrown at officers. Petrol bombs and fireworks, as well as other projectiles, have been thrown at police this evening. Earlier today, the PSNI requested assistance from police forces in Britain following the violence in Ballymena over the last two nights. The PSNI said 17 officers were injured, and six people were arrested last night, after violent disorder erupted for a second night in a row. Multiple cars and properties were set on fire while rioters hurled petrol bombs, fireworks and masonry at police officers. Riot police block a road close to Clonavon Terrace in Ballymena this evening Jonathan McCambridge / PA Jonathan McCambridge / PA / PA Alongside the injuring of police officers, much of the violence has been targeted at homes that rioters believe to belong to people from eastern European countries. Related Reads PSNI seeks reinforcements from Britain as Starmer condemns 'mindless' Ballymena violence I went to talk to people in Ballymena, and was told to make myself 'scarce' or there'd be trouble On Monday, two teenage boys appeared in court charged with the sexual assault of a young teenage girl. The two teenagers spoke through a Romanian translator. The Journal has documented some of the damage done by rioters in Ballymena, including to the home of a Bulgarian man who was targeted, a neighbouring home where the window of a child's bedroom was smashed in, and a home belonging to Filipinos who had to leave because of the extensive damage. On Clonavon Terrace, where four homes were burnt on Monday night, a Romanian teenager told The Journal that the rioters claim to be fighting for the victim of the alleged sexual assault but they're 'just destroying their own town'. 'Where is the justice for this poor girl? This isn't justice for her, this is just racism destroying where we live,' the teenager said. A pram and wheelchair outside the smashed window of a child's bedroom in Ballymena Diarmuid Pepper / The Journal Diarmuid Pepper / The Journal / The Journal Additional reporting by Press Association Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
