Hundreds of masked rioters have attacked police and set homes and cars on fire i, Northern Ireland‘s Ballymena, in the second night of disorder described as “racially motivated” by police. The riots followed a protest over an alleged sexual assault in the town, where two teenage boys were charged and requested a Romanian interpreter in court.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said they were dealing with “serious disorder” on Tuesday night and urged people to avoid the area. Officers in riot gear responded with water cannon and plastic baton rounds after being attacked with Molotov cocktails, steel scaffolding poles, and rocks. One house was burned out, and rioters attempted to set a second home alight, while several cars were set on fire.
Residents described the scenes as “terrifying” and reported that those involved were targeting “foreigners”. Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the violence was “clearly racially motivated and targeted at our minority ethnic community and police”. The police are investigating “hate attacks” on homes and businesses, and 15 officers were injured in the rioting on Monday, including some who required hospital treatment.
Cornelia Albu, a 52-year-old Romanian migrant, said her family has been “very scared” and that they tried to set their house on fire the previous night. “Last night, it was crazy, because too many people came here and tried to put the house on fire,” Albu said. She expressed concern about finding another place to live due to the attacks.
UK’s Northern Ireland minister, Hilary Benn, condemned the violence, stating that “the terrible scenes of civil disorder we have witnessed in Ballymena again this evening have no place in Northern Ireland”. Benn added that there is “absolutely no justification for attacks on PSNI officers or for vandalism directed at people’s homes or property”.
The unrest began on Monday night after a vigil in a neighbourhood of Ballymena, where the alleged sexual assault occurred on Saturday. The trouble started when people in masks broke away from the vigil and began to build barricades, stockpiling missiles and attacking properties. The situation remains tense, with residents fearing further violence and attacks on minority communities.