Missiles thrown at police and houses damaged as Northern Ireland protests turn violent
Violence has broken out between police and protesters in Northern Ireland where properties have been damaged and missiles have been thrown at officers.
Officers were "dealing with public disorder in Ballymena town centre" in Co Armagh, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said in a statement on Monday evening, adding the unrest "followed an earlier protest in the area".
PSNI said "a number of missiles have been thrown towards police with damage reported to a number of properties".
Local MP Jim Allister said tensions over immigration had been building for some time, 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 at the weekend.
Two 14-year-old boys were charged with attempted rape and were remanded in custody when they appeared at Coleraine Magistrates' Court on Monday. The charges were read to them by a Romanian interpreter.
Police have appealed for calm and told people to "avoid the Clonavon Road area until further notice".
Local media estimated around 2,500 protesters were involved in the disturbances, which some dubbed "anti-immigrant".
Videos of the incident on social media showed a large police presence, with officers in riot gear taking shelter behind a police Land Rover as a fire burned close by.
In other footage, protesters burned plastic road barriers and bins as part of a barricade on the street and masked individuals 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.
Video also appeared to show some protesters targeting houses by smashing windows.
Pictures of the disorder included one of a boat overturned outside a row of houses which appeared to have been those attacked by a mob.
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'Anti-migrant' tensions come to a head as leisure centre housing families is attacked by 'racist thugs' in Northern Ireland: Water canons blast yobs after another night of petrol bombs and fireworks being lobbed at cops
'Anti-immigration' riots reached crisis point last night as a leisure centre providing urgent shelter to families was attacked and torched by masked yobs in Northern Ireland. Around a dozen hooded thugs incinerated Larne Leisure Centre in County Antrim, which is believed to have taken in Romanian immigrants to shield them from this week's 'racist thuggery'. A crowd of about 50 people watched on as the yobs smashed windows, lit bins on fire and threw them inside the centre's entrance. A dramatic blaze then erupted from the glass room, which had already been heavily shattered with bricks and other blunt force weapons. The vandalism reportedly disrupted a yoga class which was happening inside the building, before a brick came crashing through the window, terrifying staff and visitors. Local Alliance Party MLA Danny Donnelly, who was at the centre, told the BBC that 'staff had to barricade themselves and run out the back door'. 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At one point, as flames licked the front window of the family home, he gloated 'I've got 2.6k views lad', The Telegraph first reported. Tuesday night saw the worst scenes of mass wanton destruction yet that left more police officers injured, with cars set alight and properties smashed up. One of his Senior Team, Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson, said earlier that the PSNI have redirected a significant number of extra officers into areas affected by two days of violent disorder, the worst of which took place in Ballymena. ACC Henderson labelled the violence over the first two nights as 'racist thuggery targeted at ethnic minorities and police officers'. He added that all footage of incidents was being reviewed and prosecutions would come. 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Violence broke out in Ballymena on Monday following a peaceful protest by the local community against an alleged sex attack Residents look on as PSNI riot squad officers form a blockade on Harryville bridge to stop potential rioters from accessing the Clonavon terrace area A masked protestor falls after being hit by the Police water cannon, used in an attempt to disperse protestors Riot police block a road in Ballymena during a third night of violence in the area A resident walks past PSNI riot squad officers and a dog handler as police form a blockade in Ballymena PSNI riot squad officers form a blockade on Harryville bridge in Ballymena last night to stop potential rioters from accessing the Clonavon terrace area Protesters try to throw items at the police who use water canons to clear them in Ballymena ACC Henderson said: 'There were people who were intent on violence right from the off, so that says to me that there was pre-planning involved from those who wanted to attack us. 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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 – 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. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, who highlighted the use of the building 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. 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. In the town on Wednesday, 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. 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.
