Riot police sent in as UK town set alight after petrol bombs thrown at police
Petrol bombs were thrown at police officers in Ballymena, Co Antrim after a large crowd assembled to protest against a recent sexual assault in the town
This evening, the streets of a small town in the UK erupted as a protest over a recent sexual assault escalated into a riot, with petrol bombs being hurled at police officers.
The chaos unfolded in Ballymena, Co Antrim, in Northern Ireland, after roughly 2,500 individuals assembled to show solidarity with the female assault victim.
Two teenage boys, both 14 years old, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the incident and charged with attempted rape.
They appeared before Coleraine Magistrates' Court on Monday morning, denying the charge of attempted oral rape via a Romanian interpreter. By Monday evening, crowds had swarmed outside Ballymena's police station and Clonavon Terrace, near the site of the claimed attack that occurred on Saturday, June 7.
A Police Service for Northern Ireland (PSNI) spokesperson issued a statement: "A number of missiles have been thrown towards police with damage reported to a number of properties. Officers are advising motorists and pedestrians to avoid the Clonavon Road area until further notice."
They went on to say: "It follows a protest in the area earlier this evening. Officers are in attendance to ensure the safety of everyone involved. They will remain in the area tonight to continue to monitor the situation."
Chief Superintendent Sue Steen has issued a plea for calm amidst the chaos, stating: "We are urging everyone to remain calm and to act responsibly. Violence and disorder will only place people at greater risk. Our priority is to keep the community safe, and I would appeal to everyone to work with us to bring calm to the area as quickly as possible."
After 10.30pm, over an hour since the protests escalated into violence, riot police were spotted arriving in the town centre to tackle the escalating unrest. At the same time, firefighters were busy trying to extinguish wheelie bin fires and stop the flames from reaching adjacent buildings.
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The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
Riot police respond to second night of violence in Ballymena
Police came under attack as violent disorder erupted for a second night in a row in Northern Ireland on Tuesday. Multiple cars and properties were set on fire in Ballymena while rioters hurled petrol bombs, fireworks and masonry at police officers. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) deployed riot police, fired plastic baton rounds, and used water cannons as well as dog units as part of its response to the disorder. In a statement, the PSNI said calm had been restored in the Clonavon Terrace, North Road and Bridge Street areas by around 1am on Wednesday. The force said there had also been 'sporadic disorder' in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus, as well incidents in north Belfast. It came after similar violent disorder around Clonavon Terrace in the town on Monday night, following an earlier peaceful protest in the day which was organised in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area. The Prime Minister's official spokesman described those events – which saw police and ethnic minorities targeted – as 'very concerning'. A senior police officer condemned the disorder as 'racist thuggery'. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson issued a public appeal for information and said the PSNI was actively working to identify those responsible for the 'racially motivated disorder in Ballymena and bring them to justice'. He said the service would deploy significant resources to any further disorder during the week. On Tuesday evening, riot police were deployed to residential streets around Clonavon Terrace on Tuesday as hundreds of people gathered in the area from approximately 7pm. The PSNI formed barricades while officers wearing armour and shields also responded to the disorder. Some masked protesters shouted abuse and threw objects at the police, including fireworks, glass bottles and pieces of metal. The PSNI advised those present to disperse and warned that water cannon would be deployed against those participating in violent activity. Police fired plastic baton rounds at some of those gathered and also used water cannons to disperse the crowd. Many young children were present among those gathered near police lines. As rioters were dispersed into other parts of the town as the evening progressed into night, a property on Bridge Street and a home on Queen Street were set on fire. Other properties had windows smashed as some residents chose to display signs about the nationalities of those normally resident, including one saying 'British household' and another with 'Filipino lives here'. Multiple cars were also set on fire as part of blazes set by rioters, including near a car wash and tyre centre off Bridge Street and on Larne Street. The clothing of at least one participant caught fire during the disorder. The PSNI cleared streets and allowed gaps in its barricades for firefighters to tackle fires in the town as chaotic scenes continued past midnight. Officers also used a drone as part of the response to illegal activity, which saw some rioters kick in doors and ransack homes. The Northern Ireland Secretary has said there is 'no justification' for attacks on police officers or vandalism. In a social media post, Hilary Benn said: 'The terrible scenes of civil disorder we have witnessed in Ballymena again this evening have no place in Northern Ireland. 'There is absolutely no justification for attacks on PSNI officers or for vandalism directed at people's homes or property.' During Monday's disorder, 15 police officers were injured and several PSNI vehicles were damaged. In Clonavon Terrace, several houses had their windows smashed and two which suffered significant smoke damage remained sealed off on Tuesday. A 29-year-old man was charged with riotous behaviour after being arrested on Monday night. Mr Henderson said other arrests are expected following the examination of video footage. The earlier peaceful protest formed in support of the family of the girl. 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. On Tuesday, the PSNI said it had made a third arrest in connection with the incident and reiterated a public appeal for information. Detective Inspector Olphert from the PSNI's public protection branch said: 'A 28-year-old man was arrested yesterday evening, Monday June 9. 'He has been unconditionally released from police custody following questioning.' At a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Henderson said the attacks should be 'loudly condemned by all right-thinking people'. 'Any attempt to justify or explain it as something else is misplaced,' he said at a press conference at Ballymena police station earlier on Tuesday. He said 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. 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. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The disorder we saw in Ballymena is very concerning. 'Obviously, the reports of sexual assault in the area are extremely distressing, but there is no justification for attacks on police officers while they continue to protect local communities. 'PSNI and the justice system must be allowed to carry out their jobs and our thoughts are with the victims of the assault as well as the police officers who were injured.'
New Statesman
32 minutes ago
- New Statesman
Ireland's anti-immigrant rage will not go away
Pacemaker Belfast On Tuesday night, a small town in Northern Ireland saw its second night of anti-immigration unrest. Ballymena – population 31,000, half an hour north of Belfast – has been thrown into a state of disarray not seen there since the acme of the Troubles in the 1970s. Riot police were deployed as hundreds gathered. The crowd launched petrol bombs and bricks at police services, and tried to burn down houses on a central residential street. Protestors were dispersed with a water cannon; at least fifteen police officers have been declared injured; windows have been smashed and cars set alight. It is a predictable escalation on the events of Monday evening. That morning, two 14-year-olds accused of sexual assault of a teenage girl appeared before Coleraine Magistrates'court, speaking through an interpreter in Romanian. (They both deny the charges.) The day unfurled in a familiar pattern. Crowds gathered peacefully for a vigil at the site of the alleged assault that afternoon, a vigil that by evening had descended into violence as protestors similarly launched petrol bombs and bricks at police services. Jim Allister, the local MP representing the conservative and protestant Traditional Unionist Voice party, suggested the 'very distressing' scenes were a product of unhappiness at 'significant demographic change in the area' caused by 'unfettered immigration.' When ethnic tension broke out on the streets of England last summer, the echoes with very recent history were apparent. Three young girls were murdered at a Taylor Swift dance class in the seaside town of Southport, triggering days of rioting and anti-immigration protests. Hundreds were arrested. Few could ignore the parallels with Dublin less than a year prior. In November 2023 the city was set ablaze after an Algerian naturalised citizen allegedly attacked school children and their teacher in the inner northside. Agitators made their call to arms over encrypted messaging service Telegram: 'Everyone bally [balaclava] up, tool up,' a man can be heard in a voice note. 'Let's show the f***ing media that we're not a pushover. That no more foreigners are allowed into this poxy country.' There are several things that unite the two events: a common rhetorical cause (in Dublin protestors shout 'Ireland is full', in England banners read 'we want our country back'); an incoherent, small, and angry nativist cohort united by a violent attack on children; and a social media-scape littered with false information that spread faster than the authorities could react to it. In both cases the attacker was incorrectly identified as an 'illegal immigrant'. The deeper social contours are similar, too: these are white working class areas. A million newspaper columns, books, sociological studies and documentaries have been produced to explain, critique, and, in some cases, ventriloquise their rage. An entire language has been generated to accompany this agonised library: left-behind, somewheres, broken heartlands, red wall even white working class itself, a phrase that barely existed before the 1960s, and only gained currency in Britain following the vote to leave the European Union in 2016. The basic, fundamental fact of the matter hasn't changed since then. An unhappy, alienated white working class channels its despair into desperate political gambles, or, more bleakly, outright violence. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Ireland and Britain increasingly resemble one another in this respect. In Dublin in particular the demographic change is precipitous: in the year to April 2023, immigration reached a 16-year high of 141,600; one opinion poll conducted by the Business Post/Red C, found that 75 per cent of people believed Ireland was accepting too many refugees. The country had long considered itself immune to the worst excesses of national populism but the levels of immigration, combined with the profound housing crisis, have created a tinderbox atmosphere. The riots in November 2023 were only a surprise if you'd stopped paying attention. Given the agitation just south of the border, we might have expected a cross-pollination event sooner in Northern Ireland. But it was not until the Southport attacks in August 2024 that Belfast saw its own large-scale agitation, in support of the protests across the Irish Sea. Strikingly, Irish tricolours appeared alongside Ulster flags – both sides of the tradition finally united under a common cause: anti-immigration. One thing is clear: this mode of civil unrest is not local. What happened in Dublin precipitated last summer's events in England, as porous social media appeared to turbo-charge tensions on both sides of the sea. The 2024 marches in Belfast were held in solidarity with protestors in England, and were joined by agitators who had travelled north from the Republic. Ballymena is not just half an hour away from Belfast. It is – via X, Facebook and Telegram – just as close to the restless communities scattered across the archipelago. A long summer lies ahead. [See more: Labour is losing Wales] Related
Belfast Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Riot police respond to second night of violence in Ballymena
Multiple cars and properties were set on fire in Ballymena while rioters hurled petrol bombs, fireworks and masonry at police officers. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) deployed riot police, fired plastic baton rounds, and used water cannons as well as dog units as part of its response to the disorder. In a statement, the PSNI said calm had been restored in the Clonavon Terrace, North Road and Bridge Street areas by around 1am on Wednesday. The force said there had also been 'sporadic disorder' in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus, as well incidents in north Belfast. It came after similar violent disorder around Clonavon Terrace in the town on Monday night, following an earlier peaceful protest in the day which was organised in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area. The Prime Minister's official spokesman described those events – which saw police and ethnic minorities targeted – as 'very concerning'. A senior police officer condemned the disorder as 'racist thuggery'. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson issued a public appeal for information and said the PSNI was actively working to identify those responsible for the 'racially motivated disorder in Ballymena and bring them to justice'. He said the service would deploy significant resources to any further disorder during the week. On Tuesday evening, riot police were deployed to residential streets around Clonavon Terrace on Tuesday as hundreds of people gathered in the area from approximately 7pm. The PSNI formed barricades while officers wearing armour and shields also responded to the disorder. Some masked protesters shouted abuse and threw objects at the police, including fireworks, glass bottles and pieces of metal. The PSNI advised those present to disperse and warned that water cannon would be deployed against those participating in violent activity. Police fired plastic baton rounds at some of those gathered and also used water cannons to disperse the crowd. Many young children were present among those gathered near police lines. As rioters were dispersed into other parts of the town as the evening progressed into night, a property on Bridge Street and a home on Queen Street were set on fire. Other properties had windows smashed as some residents chose to display signs about the nationalities of those normally resident, including one saying 'British household' and another with 'Filipino lives here'. Multiple cars were also set on fire as part of blazes set by rioters, including near a car wash and tyre centre off Bridge Street and on Larne Street. The clothing of at least one participant caught fire during the disorder. The PSNI cleared streets and allowed gaps in its barricades for firefighters to tackle fires in the town as chaotic scenes continued past midnight. Officers also used a drone as part of the response to illegal activity, which saw some rioters kick in doors and ransack homes. The Northern Ireland Secretary has said there is 'no justification' for attacks on police officers or vandalism. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. In a social media post, Hilary Benn said: 'The terrible scenes of civil disorder we have witnessed in Ballymena again this evening have no place in Northern Ireland. 'There is absolutely no justification for attacks on PSNI officers or for vandalism directed at people's homes or property.' During Monday's disorder, 15 police officers were injured and several PSNI vehicles were damaged. In Clonavon Terrace, several houses had their windows smashed and two which suffered significant smoke damage remained sealed off on Tuesday. A 29-year-old man was charged with riotous behaviour after being arrested on Monday night. Mr Henderson said other arrests are expected following the examination of video footage. The earlier peaceful protest formed in support of the family of the girl. 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. On Tuesday, the PSNI said it had made a third arrest in connection with the incident and reiterated a public appeal for information. Detective Inspector Olphert from the PSNI's public protection branch said: 'A 28-year-old man was arrested yesterday evening, Monday June 9. 'He has been unconditionally released from police custody following questioning.' At a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Henderson said the attacks should be 'loudly condemned by all right-thinking people'. 'Any attempt to justify or explain it as something else is misplaced,' he said at a press conference at Ballymena police station earlier on Tuesday. He said 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. 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. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The disorder we saw in Ballymena is very concerning. 'Obviously, the reports of sexual assault in the area are extremely distressing, but there is no justification for attacks on police officers while they continue to protect local communities. 'PSNI and the justice system must be allowed to carry out their jobs and our thoughts are with the victims of the assault as well as the police officers who were injured.'
