Masked yobs set fire to NI leisure centre ‘used to house locals fleeing riots' as protests hit Ballyrema for 3rd night
MASKED rioters have set fire to a leisure centre reportedly housing evacuated residents in a third day of disorder across Northern Ireland.
Hundreds of protesters have gathered across the region tonight yet again as cops gear up for another night of violence.
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Social media footage shows masked individuals smashing windows at a leisure centre in Co Antrim and setting fires outside tonight.
Local Alliance MLA Danny Donnelly said in a social media post: "Larne leisure centre has been attacked by masked thugs.
"Windows smashed and fires lit nearby. Larne does not need this."
Posts on social media claimed the leisure centre was housing those who were forced to flee their homes that were smashed and set on fire by yobs.
Reports say no one is currently inside the burning building.
The initial demonstrations ignited in Ballymena, with the PSNI saying it is 'not clear' if violence is being coordinated in the town.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said today: "At this point it's not clear to us or through intelligence or what we're hearing if there's paramilitary coordination to it."
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has condemned the 'mindless attacks' that led to seven people being arrested and 33 cops injured over two nights of carnage.
Violence originally erupted on Monday, stemming from an initially peaceful gathering to support a girl and her family after a sexual assault.
But within hours of a court appearance of two 14-year-old boys charged with attempted rape, disorder broke out in Co Antrim.
A third man, 28, was also arrested over the alleged sexual assault.
Families in the town of Ballymena have been forced to flee their homes as the riots - slammed as "racist thuggery" by cops - continue.
Crowds set fire to piles of furniture in the middle of the streets, homes were set alight, and multiple cars went up in flames.
Harrowing photos from the last two nights show the charred remains of residents' property.
Footage showed masked and hooded rioters lobbing petrol bombs, fireworks and bricks at cops trying to calm the unrest yesterday.
Officers fired baton rounds and water cannon in a desperate bid to keep the mobs at bay.
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On Monday night, 15 officers were injured and seventeen were hurt last night.
Yesterday, wheelie bins and sofas were among the objects being dragged out onto the streets, with piles of furniture being set on fire.
A child's bike was reportedly thrown over the heads of the crowd.
A family including three children revealed they had to hide in their attic on Monday night after thugs broke into their home.
Swarms of cops were filmed chasing people while equipped with riot shields.
Firefighters were spotted clambering into a house after rioters tried and failed to set it on fire.
In a statement, the The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said calm had been restored around 1am on Wednesday.
Some terrified residents said they are preparing to move away with their children for fear of what may unfold next.
On Tuesday, many residents placed posters in their windows identifying themselves as British to avoid being targeted. Union Jack flags were also prominently displayed.
A hand-written note in one window read: "British residents."
A 29-year-old man was arrested on Monday and has been charged with riotous behaviour, disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police.
Six others were arrested last night. The PSNI said: "At this time, all incidents are being treated as racially-motivated hate crimes.
"We absolutely condemn these disgraceful attacks on our minority ethnic friends and neighbours.
"Those responsible are endangering not only the lives of those inside the properties, but putting themselves at risk of injury."
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The Independent
32 minutes ago
- The Independent
PSNI chief warns rioters ‘we will arrest you'
Northern Ireland's police chief has warned 'bigots and racists' behind three nights of disorder in the region that his officers will be coming after them. Jon Boutcher said a young girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena at the weekend, an incident that triggered protests that descended into violence in the Co Antrim town, had been 'further traumatised' by the rioting since Monday. Forty-one officers have been injured in the unrest, which had resulted in 15 arrests by Thursday evening. Mr Boutcher, who met the girl's family on Thursday, delivered a stark message to the rioters as he spoke to the media in Belfast after a meeting with his oversight body, the Northern Ireland Policing Board. 'Stop this violence,' he said. 'We will come after you. We will arrest you. We will prosecute you successfully. It is not in any way a way for a civilised society to behave and it must stop now.' He said the family was 'mortified' by the disorder. 'This girl's family and this girl want it to end. Our communities want it to end. We need it to end. So please don't come out on the streets tonight. If you do, we will police you and we will deal with you through the criminal justice system.' After the warning, gatherings in several towns proceeded largely without any major disturbance by 9pm on Thursday. A significant police presence had been deployed to Ballymena and Portadown but there was no initial repeat of the violence of previous nights. Police said a separate protest in east Belfast also ended early in the evening. The riotous behaviour earlier in the week saw vandalism, vehicles burned and arson attacks on a number of properties across several towns. Petrol bombs, fireworks, masonry and a hatchet were among items thrown at officers. Police responded with water cannon, dogs and plastic baton rounds in an attempt to disperse crowds during riots in Ballymena. Mr Boutcher said: 'I want to specifically mention the 41 police officers who've been injured. Each of those officers have put themselves in harm's way to protect our communities. 'And I want to send a very clear message to all our diverse communities: we stand absolutely shoulder to shoulder with you. We are here to protect you. 'We are your police service, and these bigots and racists will not win the day. This will be policed properly. We will deal with this – and we all know that in this room – but let's call an end to it now.' The PSNI chief said the initial lawful and legitimate process before unrest broke out was done in a way that was responsible and empathetic to the victim. However, he said the protest was subsequently 'hijacked' and turned into 'wanton, disgraceful criminal behaviour that is absolutely race motivated'. The chief said the service was under-resourced and needed to be funded 'properly' rather than 'disgracefully'. However, he said his officers would still bring people to justice: 'We've put our public order inquiry team together, we'll be releasing images of those responsible. We will be going after them.' Mr Boutcher said 80 public-order officers from Scotland came to the region on Thursday to support policing efforts. The head officer described how PSNI members helped evacuate foreign national families who were hiding in attics and wardrobes in their homes in Ballymena as rioters went on the rampage on Monday night. He said the families targeted had done nothing wrong. 'They are not criminals. They contribute positively to society here and are well integrated,' he said. 'Fire Service colleagues described how they went to the scenes to stop arson attacks at those addresses, and how they, in all their years in the Fire Service, have not seen levels of violence to that level, and told me specifically and directly of the bravery, the courage of a very thin green line of police officers that without doubt, in my view, saved lives that night.' Earlier, a judge warned that courts will deal 'robustly' with those involved in violence in Ballymena. District Judge Nigel Broderick warned that young people who got involved were risking a significant custodial sentence as three teenagers faced rioting charges at the town's magistrates' court on Thursday. Michael Elliot, 18, of Lanntara, Ballymena, and two youths were the first defendants to appear in court since the sustained violence erupted in the Co Antrim town on Monday. Meanwhile, two other teenage boys who were arrested during the disorder have been released on bail to allow for further police inquiries. Secretary of State Hilary Benn described the scenes as 'mindless racist thuggery' while Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long said it has been a 'three-day festival of hate and destruction' which needs to stop before someone loses their life. Thirty minutes from Ballymena, a leisure centre in Larne was subjected to arson after temporarily being used as an emergency shelter for those in urgent need following disturbances in the town 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. Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill said Mr Lyons should resign over his social media post while the leader of the opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly SDLP MLA Matthew O'Toole said he would refer the Communities Minister to the standards commission. Mr Benn also asked the minister to 'reflect upon his words' and 'not upon his position'. Mr Lyons has resisted calls for his resignation and said he would 'strongly hit back at any notion' that he had publicly revealed the facility was being used to house immigrant families who had been affected by violence in Ballymena.
The Sun
42 minutes ago
- The Sun
As violent thugs riot & ‘turn UK town into Iraq', locals claim unchecked migrants have been ‘dumped on their doorstep'
WITH petrol bombs lighting up the night sky and fireworks crackling over head, Ballymena was ablaze once again. Balaclava-clad thugs hurled bricks, rocks and bottles — anything they could get their hands on — against a barricade of police Land Rover Tangis standing in their way. 12 12 Riot officers blocking access to Bridge Street retaliated with water cannon and baton rounds. But the dense crowd that had gathered outside Dreams department store only seemed more excited by the nightmare spectacle, whooping and taking pictures with their phones as spy drones hovered overhead. This was the third night of anti- immigration protests in Northern Ireland and residents said it was a flashback to the worst days of the Troubles, when sectarian violence caused regular clashes with police. Terrified Karen Portas, 54, said: 'I haven't seen anything like it since the 1970s and 1980s. I was scared for my life last night. 'I felt like I was living in Iraq with everything smashing and burning. 'The noise started at around midnight. I looked out of my window and saw a load of boys in balaclavas wielding baseball bats. 'These were young boys, just 14 to 15, but they were setting fire to houses without a care for who was inside — setting fire to homes owned by white people — and the police didn't do a thing, so it's no wonder the young people are not scared of them. 'When they unleashed the water cannon, they started cheering like they were at a water park.' 'The lid came off' Karen, who is retired on medical grounds, lives in the Clonavon Terrace area of Ballymena, which became the focus of the carnage this week. Rioting erupted after a young girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by two 14-year-old boys, who were charged with attempted rape and then asked for a Romanian translator when they appeared at Coleraine Magistrates' Court. Homes TORCHED & missiles thrown at cops as riots break out in UK town over 'sex attack' A peaceful protest began on Monday night then turned ugly as locals complained they were having foreigners and migrants 'dumped' on their doorstep in record numbers. A total of 15 officers were injured during clashes and four homes — including those of the alleged perpetrators — were attacked that night. On Tuesday, more officers were injured and more homes set alight as the violence spread to other towns. Gangs of feral masked teenagers returned to the streets on Wednesday, their mindless antics streamed across countless channels on social media. Cradling her dog TJ as she stood on the shattered glass outside her home, Karen said tensions with the Roma community lay behind the appalling scenes. She said: 'I understand the anger. If it was my daughter that had been attacked, I don't know what I would do. 'People feel the Government is sending migrants here without any fact-checking. 'There are lots of Roma people now and the women and children are lovely, in my experience. 12 12 'It's the men that are the problem. They put their furniture in the street and the way they leer at you when you walk past is disgusting. 'My daughter tells me they've opened brothels and girls are trafficked here to work in them. "There's a garage down that alleyway where they drink and take drugs and make noise throughout the night. It's not acceptable, and this used to be a lovely place to live. 'But I'm one of the only Irish people left here now.' Ballymena was still littered with riot debris on Wednesday, after many newcomers from Bulgaria, Poland and the Philippines decided to flee. Smashed and boarded-up windows, gutted terraced houses and the charred outlines of torched cars could be seen across town, showing how the chaos had escalated. Cowering residents had taken to sticking Union Jacks to their doors, some even placing signs such as 'Filipino lives here', to deter further attacks. As rumours spread that Unionist paramilitaries were behind the rampage, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn condemned what he termed ' racist violence '. But DUP councillor Lawrie Philpott insisted the clashes were an inevitable reaction to years of unchecked migration. He told The Sun: 'Protest is the wrong word. It was a gathering of about 5,000 people from across Northern Ireland who wanted to show their disgust at what is going on. 'The pot has boiled and it went bang — the lid came off. The issue is that you can't find affordable housing to live in and when you go to the government to ask for help, you're given the brush-off. And this all stems from Westminster. 'If someone arrives here as an illegal immigrant or as a legal migrant, they will be given priority as the system will bend over backwards to find them housing. 'That's wrong and this is simmering across the whole of the province and across the UK. 'I see this going like a domino and it is mob rule and thuggery, but this is not racism. People feel they have nowhere else to go and what do you do when you're stuck in a corner? You come out fighting. 'I'm a Ballymena man and this used to be 100 per cent British. The demographic started to change just five or seven years ago and people are angry.' Situated in County Antrim, 25 miles north west of Belfast, Ballymena was where Unionist firebrand Ian Paisley, who died aged 88 in 2014, grew up. His spirit lives on with Union Jacks lining almost every street ahead of the annual marching parade season, which starts next month. The region is known as Northern Ireland's equivalent of the Bible Belt, where Protestantism is the dominant religion and 'drugs, the devil and debauchery' are abhorred. Pensioner Trevor Boyd, 77, was handing out Christian leaflets on Wednesday. He said: 'I'm here to tell people that Jesus loves everyone no matter where you are from. 'Ballymena is a good town and while there has always been tension between Protestants and Catholics, I have never seen anything like this in my life. 12 'The issue is there have been a lot of people moving into the area who are not working and the numbers have escalated in recent years. People think that's because of migrants crossing the Channel and it makes them angry. It became a bomb waiting to go off. 'It is like Southport in England. It just took this particular incident to start an explosion.' 'They're scared' Butcher Martin Scullion, 59, slammed the government in Westminster. He said: 'They're out of touch with what is going on here. The English don't give a flying toss about us. 'If they had their way, they'd get rid of us. 'The older generation and youngsters can't come out on the streets because they're scared of being molested and touched. "I'm not being racist, but it's getting worse. "I've heard there are gangs of Roma gypsies heading this way and filling up cans with fuel from the petrol station. "I don't know what they're planning, it's scary. 'I've run this butcher's shop for ten years and it was a different place back then. It was grand, you knew everybody. Last night was terrifying. We saw houses burning and people smashing the doors and throwing big rocks. Kristine, relocated from the Philippines 'You don't know who is on the streets now. 'I've had potatoes stolen from the shop and when the thief is arrested they say, 'I don't speak English'.' Baker Kristine Landicho, 40, lives in Ballymena with her husband Elizer and son Prince, 11, having relocated from Philippines capital Manila. She said: 'Last night was terrifying. We saw houses burning and people smashing the doors and throwing big rocks. "We've only been here for seven months. Before this it was quiet here and people were nice, but this week was scary. "The first night it was locals attacking the houses and the second night it was people from all over Northern Ireland. 'The second night was the worst because there were so many cars and houses on fire. 'They think we are all the same and they don't like mass migration. Luckily, they didn't attack our house. "I'm worried they will come for us again tonight. But as long as we are safe, we will keep living in Northern Ireland.' 12 12 12
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Family of girl 'sexually assaulted by Romanian teens' plead with Ballymena rioters to end violence as town braces for fourth night of chaos
The family of the girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by Romanian teens, has pleaded with rioters in Ballymena to end the violence after three nights of chaos. Northern Ireland 's police chief Jon Boutcher said the young girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena at the weekend had been 'further traumatised' by the rioting that has been witnessed since Monday. The alleged sexual assault of the girl by Romanian teens triggered protests which descended into violence throughout the week. Mr Boutcher, who met with the girl's family on Thursday, delivered a stark message to the rioters as he spoke to the media in Belfast following a meeting with his oversight body, the Northern Ireland Policing Board. He said that 80 officers from Scotland were due to arrive today, as the town braces itself for a fourth night of rioting. It comes as three teenagers have appeared in court today in connection with riots this week. 'Stop this violence,' he said. 'We will come after you. We will arrest you. We will prosecute you successfully. It is not in any way a way for a civilised society to behave and it must stop now. 'I want to specifically mention the 41 police officers who've been injured. Each of those officers have put themselves in harm's way to protect our communities. 'And I want to send a very clear message to all our diverse communities: we stand absolutely shoulder to shoulder with you. We are here to protect you. 'We are your police service, and these bigots and racists will not win the day. This will be policed properly. We will deal with this - and we all know that in this room - but let's call an end to it now. 'This girl's family and this girl want it to end. Our communities want it to end. We need it to end. So please don't come out on the streets tonight. If you do, we will police you and we will deal with you through the criminal justice system. Mr Boutcher added that he would "always be concerned" the unrest would spread to other towns. Earlier, a judge warned that courts will deal 'robustly' with those involved in violence in Ballymena. District Judge Nigel Broderick warned that young people who got involved were risking a significant custodial sentence as three teenagers faced rioting charges at the town's magistrates' court on Thursday. Michael Elliot, 18, of Lanntara, Ballymena, and two youths were the first defendants to appear in court since the sustained violence erupted in the County Antrim town on Monday. The officer told the court that Elliott was arrested at 11.50pm on Tuesday night following an incident where a house on Bridge Street had been set on fire. The detective constable said it was originally believed the occupants were still inside the property. Elliott was detained after he was seen running from the scene, the court was told. He was wearing gloves and a balaclava, the court heard. During police interview he had made admissions to the offence of riotous assembly, the detective said. He told police during interview he had become involved in the disorder because others were involved and blamed the situation on police. The detective constable said there was 'strong public feeling' currently within Ballymena. He said police believed it is important that courts send out a 'strong message'. He said if the court did not, there was a risk of further disorder that could lead to 'death or serious injury' for foreign nationals living in Ballymena. A defence solicitor said his client's involvement was limited to 'throwing stones'. The district judge told Elliott he was a young man who now found himself in the dock in court. He said the court would deal 'robustly' with those where there was evidence they were involved in the disorder. The judge refused an application for bail. He said: 'Your case should be an example to others who are considering getting involved in further public disorder.' The judge said there was a high likelihood that those who were charged over rioting would be refused bail and would face a significant custodial sentence if convicted. He remanded Elliott in custody until July 10. A 15-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy also appeared in the dock charged with riotous assembly and criminal damage. Both were rejected bail and remanded to appear at a youth court on June 18. The riotous behaviour saw vandalism, vehicles burned and arson attacks on a number of properties across several towns. Forty-one officers have been injured in the unrest which has also resulted in 13 arrests by lunchtime on Thursday. Petrol bombs, fireworks, masonry and a hatchet were among items thrown at officers over the three nights of disorder. Police responded with with water cannon, dogs and plastic baton rounds in an attempt to disperse crowds in the town. PSNI chief Mr Boutcher said the initial lawful and legitimate process before unrest broke out was done in a way that was responsible and empathetic to the victim. However, he said the protest was subsequently 'hijacked' and turned into 'wanton, disgraceful criminal behaviour that is absolutely race motivated'. The chief said the service was under-resourced and needed to be funded 'properly' rather than 'disgracefully'. However, he said his officers would still bring people to justice: 'We've put our public order inquiry team together, we'll be releasing images of those responsible. We will be going after them.' The head officer described how PSNI members helped evacuate foreign national families who were hiding in attics and wardrobes in their homes in Ballymena as rioters went on the rampage on Monday night. He said the families targeted had done nothing wrong. 'They are not criminals. They contribute positively to society here and are well integrated,' he said. 'They are valued members of society in Northern Ireland. 'Fire Service colleagues described how they went to the scenes to stop arson attacks at those addresses, and how they, in all their years in the Fire Service, have not seen levels of violence to that level, and told me specifically and directly of the bravery, the courage of a very thin green line of police officers that without doubt, in my view, saved lives that night.' Secretary of State Hilary Benn described the scenes as 'mindless racist thuggery' while Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long said it has been a 'three-day festival of hate and destruction' which needs to stop before someone loses their life. Thirty minutes from Ballymena, a leisure centre in Larne was subjected to arson after temporarily being used as an emergency shelter for those in urgent need following disturbances in the town 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. Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill said Mr Lyons should resign over his social media post while the leader of the opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly SDLP MLA Matthew O'Toole said he would refer the Communities Minister to the standards commission. Mr Benn also asked the minister to 'reflect upon his words' and 'not upon his position'. Mr Lyons has resisted calls for his resignation and said he would 'strongly hit back at any notion' that he had publicly revealed the facility was being used to house immigrant families who had been affected by violence in Ballymena.
