PSNI request support from UK colleagues to deal with Ballymena violence
Police in Northern Ireland have requested support from colleagues in the rest of the UK following further violence in Ballymena, a senior officer has said.
PSNI
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the force would be bringing extra officers, vehicles and equipment to areas where unrest has flared.
He said there were disgraceful scenes in
Belfast
, Lisburn, Coleraine, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey on Tuesday, as businesses, homes and cars were attacked and damaged.
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson speaks to media during a press conference at PSNI headquarters in east Belfast, following a second night of violence in Ballymena, during a protest over an alleged sexual assault in the Co Antrim town. Photograph: Rebecca Black/ PA Wire
By Wednesday six individuals had been arrested for public order offences, with one charged.
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A 'significant policing operation' is to be in place in Ballymena and beyond on Wednesday night and in the coming days.
Prime minister Keir Starmer has said he 'utterly' condemns violence that has left 32 police officers injured following a second night of disturbances.
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has warned that 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.
Providing an update on the policing operation on Wednesday, Mr Henderson said: 'We are taking steps to increase available resources and are surging a significant number of extra officers, vehicles and equipment to those areas where the rioting is taking place.
'This will have an impact on our community, this will take away vital resources needed to police other areas.
'It will have an impact on our ability to serve communities.
'As part of my forward planning I have now activated the request for mutual aid resources from policing colleagues in Great Britain to ensure we have the necessary support and maintain public order and bring offenders to justice in the days to come.'
He said they have requested about 80 officers through mutual aid.
Speaking during prime minister's questions in the UK House of Commons, Mr Starmer condemned the 'mindless attacks' against police.
'I utterly condemn the violence that we have seen overnight in Ballymena and in other parts of Northern Ireland, including against PSNI officers,' he told MPs.
'It's absolutely vital that the PSNI are given the time they need to investigate the incidents concerned rather than face mindless attacks as they seek to bring peace and order to keep people safe.'
In a joint statement, ministers from across the Stormont powersharing Executive, which includes Sinn Fein, DUP, Alliance Party and UUP, said those involved in disorder have nothing to offer society but 'division and disorder'.
First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly later appeared together to voice their condemnation.
Sinn Féin vice president Ms O'Neill told reporters in Belfast: 'It's pure racism, there is no other way to dress it up.'
She said ministers stood full-square with the young girl who was subject to the alleged sex attack but she said the criminal justice system must be allowed to deal with that case.
'Separate to that is the racism that we're seeing … people being firebombed out of their homes, people having their doors knocked in, having their windows being smashed, families being intimidated,' Ms O'Neill added.
'That is absolutely unacceptable and everything that needs to be done to bring it to an end is our focus in terms of the engagement we have with the PSNI.'
Ms Little-Pengelly described the scenes in Ballymena as 'unacceptable thuggery', adding: 'We've been in contact with the chief constable, and in constant contact with the PSNI throughout last night in terms of what was happening on the ground.
'I think today is about sending a very clear message that violence is wrong, it is entirely unacceptable. It must stop.'
With the protests focused in predominantly loyalist areas in Ballymena, Ms O'Neill said she did not believe a visit by her would prove helpful in the current context.
DUP MLA Ms Little-Pengelly visited the town on Wednesday, and met local residents.
She said members of the local community are in fear and want the violence to stop.
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