The police in Northern Ireland are grappling with severe unrest in Ballymena after a protest escalated into riots last night. This violence resulted in 15 officers sustaining injuries and multiple homes and businesses being set ablaze. The disturbances were spurred by the court appearance of two 14-year-old boys charged with serious sexual offenses against a teenage girl on Saturday night, including attempted oral rape.
Initially, the demonstration, which started around 7:30 p.m., was peaceful, drawing a large crowd towards the site of the alleged assault on Clonavon Terrace. However, tensions mounted when masked individuals emerged, leading to the construction of barricades and a deluge of projectiles being hurled at law enforcement. The Police Service of Northern Ireland noted that many of the rioters were masked and their actions included throwing Molotov cocktails, heavy masonry, and fireworks at the police.
Statements from the police indicated several of the fires set during the unrest were being treated as racially motivated hate crimes. With the chaotic scene lasting for hours, three families had to evacuate from homes that were set on fire, and several of the injured officers needed hospital care. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson condemned the violence, urging participants to reconsider their actions and emphasizing that such behavior only exacerbates risks to the community.
In a related incident, police reported a Molotov cocktail attack in nearby Cullybackey just after midnight, where a vehicle was torched and a property occupied by a woman and two children was damaged, further attaching a racially motivated narrative to the violence. A 29-year-old man has since been arrested on suspicion of riotous and disorderly behavior among other charges, as authorities work to restore order in the area.
Initially, the demonstration, which started around 7:30 p.m., was peaceful, drawing a large crowd towards the site of the alleged assault on Clonavon Terrace. However, tensions mounted when masked individuals emerged, leading to the construction of barricades and a deluge of projectiles being hurled at law enforcement. The Police Service of Northern Ireland noted that many of the rioters were masked and their actions included throwing Molotov cocktails, heavy masonry, and fireworks at the police.
Statements from the police indicated several of the fires set during the unrest were being treated as racially motivated hate crimes. With the chaotic scene lasting for hours, three families had to evacuate from homes that were set on fire, and several of the injured officers needed hospital care. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson condemned the violence, urging participants to reconsider their actions and emphasizing that such behavior only exacerbates risks to the community.
In a related incident, police reported a Molotov cocktail attack in nearby Cullybackey just after midnight, where a vehicle was torched and a property occupied by a woman and two children was damaged, further attaching a racially motivated narrative to the violence. A 29-year-old man has since been arrested on suspicion of riotous and disorderly behavior among other charges, as authorities work to restore order in the area.
