Rioters clash with police in Northern Ireland amid protests over alleged sexual assault
Rioters threw Molotov cocktails and other projectiles at police in the Northern Irish town of Ballymena in the second night of unrest that followed a protest over an alleged sexual assault in the town. Four houses were damaged in what police said they are investigating as racially-motivated hate attacks.
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Metro
10 hours ago
- Metro
The Ballymena riots are nothing to do with protecting women
Less than a year on from the far right riots that gripped England last summer, another part of the UK finds itself engulfed in a rampage of violence sparked by anti-immigrant sentiment. Several Northern Irish towns and cities have seen days of racially-motivated destruction, disorder and crime, with homes set alight, petrol bombs thrown and police officers attacked. The epicentre of the chaos is Ballymena, Country Antrim, where rioting followed initially peaceful protests on Monday evening in support of a teenage girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted in the area. Two teenagers appeared in court on Monday charged with attempted rape. Though their ethnicity hasn't been officially announced by the police, they spoke through a Romanian translator in court. And much like the riots that originated in Stockport last summer when Axel Rudakubana killed three children, it is their perceived identity that is the focus of the disorder. Like that unrest, the violence has been targeted, and terrifying, not least for someone like me, a visibly Muslim woman living in the UK. Attacks have been aimed at businesses and households thought to belong to 'foreign' people, anti-immigration slogans have been chanted in the street, and rioters have even live-streamed burning someone's house. The situation is so bad that families in Northern Ireland have resorted to putting up signs clarifying their identity to avoid being considered 'foreign'. It goes without saying that we should all be outraged by the alleged attempted rape of a teenage girl, no matter who is accused of perpetrating the act. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video But like last year, I'm forced to ask – is this really about the alleged victim at all? Why is it that these masked mobs only seem to care about protecting women and girls from violence and sexual assault when it's someone who isn't White British accused of the crime? There was no sign of these rioters when, for example, one of Northern Ireland's most prominent politicians, former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, was charged with 18 sexual offences including one of rape, all of which he denies. Defenders of these racist riots might argue that immigration is the root of this problem but are we really going to pretend that migrant men are uniquely responsible for the epidemic of violence against women in a way that white British people aren't? The last time I checked, our national institutions – from parliament to the police force – were riddled with instances of misogyny. Besides, if immigration was to blame then how do you explain sexual abuses of power conducted by wealthy white men in suits? Are we going to ban suits because some men who wear them abuse women? No, of course not. Because those propositions are ridiculous. Just as ridiculous as blaming racist riots on the very immigrant communities who are being targeted. Ultimately, those rioting are hiding behind the guise of protecting women to instead propagate extremism. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Those in Ballymena aren't venting their frustrations at specific immigration policy, or protesting in support of women and girls, they are enacting violence and creating disorder in the name of the kind of culture that excludes people like me. If this was actually about systemic misogyny, then we'd see mass unrest every time a famous figure, business or institution is found to have been mistreating women, something that happens with depressing regularity. Instead, when horrific things befall women and girls, our suffering is hijacked by those seeking to sow discord and ignite community tensions. Just like with the horrific murder of three little girls in Stockport last year, the unconscionable act simply became a way for people to fuel a violent anti-immigration agenda. Meanwhile the plight of the victims and their families was overshadowed. Senseless violence and mass disorder doesn't protect women. It renders entire communities unsafe and ironically it is women and children who bear the brunt of this. There have been stories of migrant mothers fleeing Northern Ireland with their children in recent days because they are so frightened of being visibly foreign amidst such aggression and hostility. Parts of Britain descending into racist chaos every time a non-white person commits or is accused of a crime destroys the fabric of what sort of country Britain claims to be: One of tolerance and inclusion. These far-right rioters positioning themselves as the great defenders of British women and girls actually do the opposite. It moves the focus away from dealing with systemic, embedded patriarchy and misogyny in our society and instead shifts resources – from media attention to police time and money – onto tackling the subsequent disorder, rather than the root cause. Plus, what sort of women and girls are they defending? Certainly not women like me, who are visibly other, and are actively rendered unsafe by this sort of violence. Everyone I know who is a visible outsider – whether through skin colour or religious dress – still has the memory of last summer's racist riots etched in their mind. More Trending It has permanently shifted the ground upon which we have built our lives in the country we thought we belonged in. The idea of the same thing once again being reignited on UK soil reminds me that people like me are never safe. All it takes is one alleged crime to be committed by someone with a foreign name or brown skin and we are all once again rendered unsafe, forced to hide away in our homes or prove our right to exist in the place we call home. And that isn't protecting anyone. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: Brat summer is back: From tennis to the Euros to the Rugby World Cup, just watch as sporting queens go centre stage MORE: Doctor Who fans are convinced the show is dying – but they're wrong MORE: Sabrina Carpenter knew you'd hate her kinky album cover – that's the point
NBC News
11 hours ago
- NBC News
Northern Ireland town is engulfed in racist riots for a third day
LONDON — Dozens of mostly young men torched homes and smashed in windows in a Northern Irish town late Wednesday, in a third night of what officials described as coordinated 'racist thuggery' against the community's ethnic minorities. Some residents of Ballymena, about 25 miles northwest of Belfast with a population of 30,000, responded to the anti-foreigner vigilantism by sticking the Union Jack or signs in their windows reading 'British household' and 'locals live here,' in an apparent attempt to be spared by the rioters. NBC News' British partner Sky News has seen residents from ethnic minorities packing up suitcases and leaving their homes, while others have spoken of their terror that the mob violence will continue. The violence first flared Monday during a vigil for a teenage girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault two days before. Two teenage boys, both 14, were charged with attempted rape and appeared in court Monday, communicating through a Romanian translator. The boys' identities have not been released because of their age. Masked rioters broke away from the otherwise peaceful vigil, building barricades and throwing bricks, Molotov cocktails and fireworks at houses and police. Riot police responded with rubber bullets and a water cannon. More than 40 officers have been injured over the three nights, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, known as the PSNI, said. The violence also spread to other towns in Northern Ireland, such as Coleraine, where a bus station was attacked, access to the train station was blocked and rioters pushed trash cans onto the rails and set them alight Wednesday night, police said. In Larne, some people whose homes were destroyed were given shelter at a leisure center — until that was targeted and set on fire, too. In total, 10 people, all men in their teens, 20s and 30s, have been arrested. Three of them, aged 18, 17 and 15, have been charged and are set to appear in court Thursday. 'This violence was clearly racially motivated and targeted at our minority ethnic community and police,' Ryan Henderson, PSNI assistant chief constable, said Tuesday at a news conference. 'It was racist thuggery pure and simple and any attempt to justify and explain it as something else is misplaced.' A Bulgarian national who lives in Ballymena and asked that her identity be protected told Sky News, 'It's terrifying, honestly, I'm scared to get out of the house,' She said she had been in Northern Ireland 'for a while — I've pursued an education here,' she said. 'I've done multiple things for the community and it's just absolutely heartbreaking that it's not the same Ballymena that I had when I first came here.' "It is important," said Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, a think tank that focuses on immigration, identity and integration, "to draw the clearest red line between the legitimate debate about immigration policy, including numbers, the pace of change and the quality of integration, and hateful abuse and threats." 'Governments need to manage asylum much better nationally and locally,' he said, 'but must challenge more forcefully those stoking hatred and socializing violence against migrants, and the platforms that let hatred run riot without impediment.' Northern Ireland is no stranger to unrest, but usually between 'unionists' — mostly Protestants who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom — and 'republicans' — mostly Catholics who want it to become part of the Irish Republic. Though this conflict, called 'the Troubles,' officially ended with a peace deal in 1998, sporadic clashes still break out between these often segregated communities and police. This week's unrest in Ballymena follows a different trend, however. Anti-foreigner sentiment has in recent years surged across the U.K. and indeed Europe and the West. As prices for food, fuel and housing rise due to inflation, and public services become squeezed, some politicians mainly on the populist hard-right have sought to blame mass immigration for putting undue stress on the system. Pro-immigration progressives argue that immigrants provide an essential net benefit to society, both bringing high-level skills and filling less glamorous but necessary jobs. Last summer, anti-immigrant violence flared across the U.K. after three young girls were stabbed to death at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party in the town of Southport in northwest England.
Daily Record
16 hours ago
- Daily Record
UK government issues warning to all citizens travelling to the U.S. in update
The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for the US after a week of unrest in Los Angeles following US immigration raids The UK government has today issued urgent advice for anyone travelling to the US, prompted by the Foreign Office following a spate of protests in Los Angeles as massive deportation raids sparked public dissent. After Los Angeles endured another night under curfew amid ongoing civil unrest related to US immigration enforcement, British officials have updated travel guidance, drawing attention to the robust police measures in place. Officials said: "Demonstrations and protests are taking place in Los Angeles. Media reports suggest the police response has included use of flash-bangs, tear gas, pepper balls, and rubber/sponge bullets." Foreign office said UK citizens should: monitor local media and follow the advice of the local authorities plan ahead to avoid disruption stay away from crowds and demonstrations The Foreign Office has given cautionary advice to UK nationals, highlighting the need for vigilance during these times. In response to the escalating situation, federal prosecutors have charged two individuals with hurling Molotov cocktails at law enforcement officers in separate episodes. An imposing presence of 4,000 National Guard soldiers alongside 700 Marines has been mobilised to stabilise the unrest, with some Guardsmen now empowered to detain individuals pending police arrest, reports the Express US. Earlier on Wednesday evening, hundreds convened at Los Angeles City Hall for a protest that was later disbanded by police enforcement. As the curfew took effect, LA Mayor Karen Bass posted on Twitter explaining that it was implemented as a measure to "stop bad actors who are taking advantage of the president's chaotic escalation". She previously attributed the demonstrations to US President Donald Trump's immigration raids, asserting they "provoked" the community by engendering "fear" and "panic". "A week ago, everything was peaceful," she remarked during a press briefing on Wednesday. "Things began to be difficult on Friday when raids took place." Bass insinuated that Los Angeles is "part of a national experiment to determine how far the federal government can go in taking over power from a local government, from a local jurisdiction". She has consistently urged the administration to halt the raids. Following a fifth night of unrest over the immigration measures, Los Angeles police reported that "mass arrests" were carried out late Tuesday into Wednesday. The Police Department issued statements detailing that 203 individuals were detained for failure to disperse, 17 for breaking curfew, three for carrying a firearm, and one for assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon. According to the department's account, two officers sustained injuries in the fracas.
