More than 100 officers were hurt in Northern Ireland riots
However, he warned that a budget crisis facing the force means that its reliance on external support is apparent.
Violence erupted in Ballymena in June after an alleged sexual assault of a girl in the town. Two 14-year-old boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, were charged with attempted rape.
A peaceful protest in the Co Antrim town about the alleged assault was followed by attacks on police and properties housing ethnic minorities, described by police as 'racist thuggery'.
The disturbances lasted for several nights and spread to other areas of Northern Ireland including Portadown, Larne, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Londonderry and Coleraine.
Police also dealt with several nights of sectarian disorder in Londonderry.
Speaking during the monthly accountability meeting of the Policing Board, Mr Boutcher said Northern Ireland had experienced 'widespread racially and sectarian motivated rioting and disorder' in the past month.
He said: 'In disgraceful scenes reminiscent of last summer, we saw hate-filled mobs throw petrol bombs, masonry, fireworks, an axe, at police officers, targeting homes and businesses.
'They targeted law-abiding, decent families from diverse communities who make Northern Ireland a better place, creating fear in people who simply want to live in peace.
'I can confirm the final number of injured officers as 107, many with head injuries from masonry and other missiles.'
He added: 'There is no place for such violence, these actions were not about protest, they were attacks on the very fabric of our society.
'What sort of Northern Ireland do we want to live in?'
The Chief Constable said every incident during the disturbances was being treated as a racially or sectarian motivated hate crime.
He said: 'To date 56 arrests have been made and 27 individuals remanded into custody.
'More will follow as we pursue those responsible and bring them to justice.
'The deterrents of long prison sentences will be a sobering reality for many of those involved.
'Our own no-nonsense approach of arresting suspects with the swift release of suspect images had a further powerful deterrent effect.'
'We will use the most appropriate tactics, including AEP (attenuating energy projectiles) and water cannon to protect communities and my officers from harm.
'Our approach will be robust and it will be consistently applied.'
Mr Boutcher referred to commentary suggesting rioters were treated differently in separate parts of Northern Ireland.
He said: 'I want to be absolutely clear, we respond to public disorder without fear or favour.
'There is no difference to our approach based on the background or motivation of those involved.
'To suggest otherwise removes the focus of condemnation where it rightfully belongs, upon those using violence and spreading hate.
'It is crucial we are collectively seen to be unequivocal in standing together against these cowardly acts of racism, hatred and violence.'
The Chief Constable continued: 'On that first night of disorder in Ballymena… officers of the PSNI saved people's lives and they put their own lives at risk to do that.
'We did not have enough officers there because we are not sufficiently resourced and that has got to change.'
Mr Boutcher referred to mutual aid arrangements which led to officers from Police Scotland being sent to Northern Ireland during the rioting.
He said: 'That mutual aid was required and again highlights the unacceptable fragility of our own resourcing.
'Our reliance on external support has never been more apparent.'
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ITV News
an hour ago
- ITV News
Empty houses, broken communities: One month on from the Ballymena riots
On Clonavon Terrace in Ballymena, empty house after empty house is now boarded up. This street was at the heart of last month's week of disorder, which was aimed mainly against the Roma community who had moved into the town. Foreign families were burned out of their homes, and their landlords were warned not to let them return. It started with a protest by the community after an alleged sexual assault against a local teenage girl. Two 14-year-old boys, who spoke in court through a Romanian interpreter, have since been charged with attempted rape which they both deny. But the peaceful protest escalated into violence, which spread across a number of towns in Northern Ireland over a week of disorder. Homes were set on fire, windows were smashed, and a number of police officers were injured. There have been 41 arrests to date. One of those is 18-year-old Michael Elliott. He was arrested in Ballymena on Tuesday, June 10 and charged with rioting. His mum, Carla, agreed to speak to ITV News while her son is being held on remand. She says she is angry that her son's face has been used in the press along with the word 'racist'. 'He has been caught up and is being used as the scapegoat," she said. She attended what she says was a peaceful protest with Michael and was shocked when it turned violent, but says she is not surprised that local people felt angry over immigration. She says she has been warning people on her TikTok channel about problems in the town for years. 'We've got our own housing crisis. Our own people can't get houses. People are getting moved in and they get that house straight away," she said. 'What about our homeless?' The judge remanded Michael into custody, along with others, warning that the violence had caused "great fear and trauma" across Northern Ireland. He said there needed to be a strong message that if you are arrested and there is credible and reliable evidence, "you will be remanded into custody and ultimately face a lengthy custodial sentence". Driving around Ballymena now, it is easy to see how the town has been visibly changed after the riots. Many homes in the town centre have put up flags showing symbols of Britishness or signs highlighting that locals live inside to deter any further damage to their properties. Military veteran Anita has lived here for almost 30 years and is one of those who feels compelled to display a flag in every window. 'It says that we are locals, we are British, and don't smash my windows.' But Anita is not angry about the damage done to her street from the riot. She says she is angry because she complained for seven years about the anti-social behaviour of her neighbours, who, she says, were Roma, but nobody listened, and instead she was called a racist. She blames 'the authorities and the landlords… because they didn't listen. 'It (the rioting) was heavy-handed, and it was hard, but it did the job. 'They are gone, we've got our streets back.' Ballymena local councillor, Rodney Quigley, told ITV News his community does not have a problem with racism or a rise of the far right. He says what happened here was about one specific group. 'It was the Roma community and I make no bones about that. 'There has been issues with prostitution, issues with gangs of young fellas running around. 'People felt they were being called racist because they were concerned about what had been going on.' He says it was not a race riot, it was an anti-Roma riot. 'It doesn't make me a racist calling that out because I would call it out in my own community.' The local primary schools have lost 80 children almost overnight from the families that left this area. One Romanian family who lives locally had their window smashed in, but told us that even though they are still being intimidated, they are not leaving, and this is their home. Almost one month on, the streets have fallen quiet except for the sound of repairs. What happened here has forced almost an entire Roma community to just disappear. The violence has stopped, but the feelings of being overlooked and ignored have not gone away.
South Wales Guardian
6 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
More than 100 officers were hurt in Northern Ireland riots
Mr Boutcher said the actions of his officers had saved lives during the first night of racist violence in Ballymena last month. However, he warned that a budget crisis facing the force means that its reliance on external support is apparent. Violence erupted in Ballymena in June after an alleged sexual assault of a girl in the town. Two 14-year-old boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, were charged with attempted rape. A peaceful protest in the Co Antrim town about the alleged assault was followed by attacks on police and properties housing ethnic minorities, described by police as 'racist thuggery'. The disturbances lasted for several nights and spread to other areas of Northern Ireland including Portadown, Larne, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Londonderry and Coleraine. Police also dealt with several nights of sectarian disorder in Londonderry. Speaking during the monthly accountability meeting of the Policing Board, Mr Boutcher said Northern Ireland had experienced 'widespread racially and sectarian motivated rioting and disorder' in the past month. He said: 'In disgraceful scenes reminiscent of last summer, we saw hate-filled mobs throw petrol bombs, masonry, fireworks, an axe, at police officers, targeting homes and businesses. 'They targeted law-abiding, decent families from diverse communities who make Northern Ireland a better place, creating fear in people who simply want to live in peace. 'I can confirm the final number of injured officers as 107, many with head injuries from masonry and other missiles.' He added: 'There is no place for such violence, these actions were not about protest, they were attacks on the very fabric of our society. 'What sort of Northern Ireland do we want to live in?' The Chief Constable said every incident during the disturbances was being treated as a racially or sectarian motivated hate crime. He said: 'To date 56 arrests have been made and 27 individuals remanded into custody. 'More will follow as we pursue those responsible and bring them to justice. 'The deterrents of long prison sentences will be a sobering reality for many of those involved. 'Our own no-nonsense approach of arresting suspects with the swift release of suspect images had a further powerful deterrent effect.' 'We will use the most appropriate tactics, including AEP (attenuating energy projectiles) and water cannon to protect communities and my officers from harm. 'Our approach will be robust and it will be consistently applied.' Mr Boutcher referred to commentary suggesting rioters were treated differently in separate parts of Northern Ireland. He said: 'I want to be absolutely clear, we respond to public disorder without fear or favour. 'There is no difference to our approach based on the background or motivation of those involved. 'To suggest otherwise removes the focus of condemnation where it rightfully belongs, upon those using violence and spreading hate. 'It is crucial we are collectively seen to be unequivocal in standing together against these cowardly acts of racism, hatred and violence.' The Chief Constable continued: 'On that first night of disorder in Ballymena… officers of the PSNI saved people's lives and they put their own lives at risk to do that. 'We did not have enough officers there because we are not sufficiently resourced and that has got to change.' Mr Boutcher referred to mutual aid arrangements which led to officers from Police Scotland being sent to Northern Ireland during the rioting. He said: 'That mutual aid was required and again highlights the unacceptable fragility of our own resourcing. 'Our reliance on external support has never been more apparent.'
Powys County Times
7 hours ago
- Powys County Times
More than 100 officers were hurt in Northern Ireland riots
More than 100 police officers were injured during recent rioting in Northern Ireland, PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has revealed. Mr Boutcher said the actions of his officers had saved lives during the first night of racist violence in Ballymena last month. However, he warned that a budget crisis facing the force means that its reliance on external support is apparent. Violence erupted in Ballymena in June after an alleged sexual assault of a girl in the town. Two 14-year-old boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, were charged with attempted rape. A peaceful protest in the Co Antrim town about the alleged assault was followed by attacks on police and properties housing ethnic minorities, described by police as 'racist thuggery'. The disturbances lasted for several nights and spread to other areas of Northern Ireland including Portadown, Larne, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Londonderry and Coleraine. Police also dealt with several nights of sectarian disorder in Londonderry. Speaking during the monthly accountability meeting of the Policing Board, Mr Boutcher said Northern Ireland had experienced 'widespread racially and sectarian motivated rioting and disorder' in the past month. He said: 'In disgraceful scenes reminiscent of last summer, we saw hate-filled mobs throw petrol bombs, masonry, fireworks, an axe, at police officers, targeting homes and businesses. 'They targeted law-abiding, decent families from diverse communities who make Northern Ireland a better place, creating fear in people who simply want to live in peace. 'I can confirm the final number of injured officers as 107, many with head injuries from masonry and other missiles.' He added: 'There is no place for such violence, these actions were not about protest, they were attacks on the very fabric of our society. 'What sort of Northern Ireland do we want to live in?' The Chief Constable said every incident during the disturbances was being treated as a racially or sectarian motivated hate crime. He said: 'To date 56 arrests have been made and 27 individuals remanded into custody. 'More will follow as we pursue those responsible and bring them to justice. 'The deterrents of long prison sentences will be a sobering reality for many of those involved. 'Our own no-nonsense approach of arresting suspects with the swift release of suspect images had a further powerful deterrent effect.' 'We will use the most appropriate tactics, including AEP (attenuating energy projectiles) and water cannon to protect communities and my officers from harm. 'Our approach will be robust and it will be consistently applied.' Mr Boutcher referred to commentary suggesting rioters were treated differently in separate parts of Northern Ireland. He said: 'I want to be absolutely clear, we respond to public disorder without fear or favour. 'There is no difference to our approach based on the background or motivation of those involved. 'To suggest otherwise removes the focus of condemnation where it rightfully belongs, upon those using violence and spreading hate. 'It is crucial we are collectively seen to be unequivocal in standing together against these cowardly acts of racism, hatred and violence.' The Chief Constable continued: 'On that first night of disorder in Ballymena… officers of the PSNI saved people's lives and they put their own lives at risk to do that. 'We did not have enough officers there because we are not sufficiently resourced and that has got to change.' Mr Boutcher referred to mutual aid arrangements which led to officers from Police Scotland being sent to Northern Ireland during the rioting. He said: 'That mutual aid was required and again highlights the unacceptable fragility of our own resourcing. 'Our reliance on external support has never been more apparent.'
