Anti-Immigrant Clashes Erupt in Northern Ireland
(MENAFN) Ballymena and nearby towns have been engulfed in a third consecutive night of violent unrest, with rioters assaulting police, setting vehicles ablaze, and attacking immigrant communities in a rapidly escalating crisis.
The violence, sparked by the arrest of two local teenage boys linked to an alleged sexual assault earlier this week, has intensified with each night. Police officers have faced relentless attacks from petrol bombs, bricks, and fireworks, resulting in more than 30 injuries across Ballymena and surrounding areas. Vehicles have been torched, immigrant families forced to flee their homes, and local businesses shuttered amid fears of further violence.
On the third night of disturbances, masked youths targeted Larne Leisure Centre, smashing windows and igniting fires inside. Social media misinformation had falsely claimed migrants displaced from Ballymena were being housed at the facility. Officials confirmed no one was inside during the attack.
Immigrant communities, particularly from the Philippines and Eastern Europe, report sustained threats, vandalism, and forced displacement. Some families have fortified their homes or displayed national flags as protective measures. One Filipino family was trapped inside their home after their car was deliberately set on fire.
The unrest originated from public outrage following the detention of two 14-year-old local boys accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl on June 7 in Ballymena’s Clonavon Terrace area. Despite police affirming the suspects’ local ties, online misinformation has fueled racially motivated violence.
At a press briefing, Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson stated authorities are still investigating the nature of the violence. “At this point, it's not clear to us or through intelligence or what we're hearing if there's paramilitary coordination to it,” he said, referencing shadow paramilitary groups historically tied to sectarian conflict between nationalist Catholics and unionist Protestants.
Police are reviewing surveillance footage and considering reinforcements from Britain as unrest spreads to Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, and Coleraine, where riot control units have been deployed.
Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly condemned the violence in a joint statement, describing the attacks as “orchestrated racist thuggery.” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for calm and urged trust in the justice system.
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