FOR the second day in a row violence has engulfed the town of Ballymena in Northern Ireland.
What began as a peaceful vigil on Monday quickly descended into chaos, with rioters targeting police and property.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said that over 30 officers have been injured in the last two days, with crowds hurling bricks, fireworks and glass bottles at police.
Several cars were set ablaze, windows were smashed, and barricades were set alight to block roads. In one instance, a protester’s clothes caught fire amid the chaos.
The initial protest followed the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl over the weekend. Two boys, both aged 14, appeared in Coleraine Magistrates’ Court on Monday, where they spoke through a Romanian interpreter. Their lawyer said that they would deny the charges.
PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson condemned the violence as “racist thuggery”, noting that many migrants “felt fear” during the protests.
He added that the police were “actively working to identify those responsible” and promised a higher number of officers in the coming days to reassure local residents.
Some houses displayed signs stating their nationality, such as “British household” and “Filipino lives here”, in an apparent attempt to avoid being targeted.
One house that was set on fire had a pregnant woman inside. Alliance Party assembly member Sian Mulholland told BBC's Good Morning Ulster that the woman and her family were rescued by police and taken to safety.
She also claimed that another family, with three young children, had to barricade themselves in their attic during the violence.
Mulholland also called attention to the role of social media, noting there was “widespread livestreaming of the violence, directing people where to go, how to get around the police barricades.”
Political leaders across the spectrum have condemned the violence. DUP assembly member Paul Frew told BBC Radio 4 that he feared “someone will be killed” if the unrest continues. He also warned that the violence was “drowning out the strong and sincere sympathies for victims of sexual violence”.
Jim Allister, MP for North Antrim, claimed that the tensions were exacerbated by an “oversubscription of migrants” in the town. Speaking to the BBC, he said that during recent canvassing, only five of 50 households on one street were “local, if I can call them that”.
His comments were criticised by Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader Claire Hanna, who said, “Some politicians are choosing to explain away episodes of violence. We are hearing words of condemnation which are, at best, insincere, and many people would describe as weaselly.”
Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long said she was “appalled” by the scenes, while Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn posted on social media that the “terrible scenes of civil disorder have no place in Northern Ireland.”
A spokesperson for Keir Starmer has said, “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.”
In a statement after the second day of riots PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said “Ironically, and frustratingly, this violence threatens to derail the very pursuit of justice it claims to challenge. Let me be clear: this behaviour must stop. I appeal to everyone involved to cease all further acts of criminality and disorder immediately."
So far five people have been charged with attempted criminal damage and resisting police. Officers say additional arrests are likely as video evidence is examined.
By Wednesday morning, the violence had largely subsided, with police maintaining a visible presence and fire crews dealing with a small blaze near Clonavon Road.
As Ballymena begins to recover from two nights of chaos, police and local leaders are urging calm.
