Ballymena: Fireworks thrown at police in second night of disorder
Ballymena: Fireworks thrown at police in second night of disorder
(32 minutes later)
Watch: Police attacked on second night of disorder in Ballymena
Watch: Police attacked on second night of disorder in Ballymena
Petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks were thrown at police during another night of disorder in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, on Tuesday, leaving 17 officers injured.
Protesters threw petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks at police during another night of disorder in Ballymena on Tuesday.
Police fired baton rounds and used a water cannon to disperse protesters as cars were set on fire and the windows of several houses smashed.
Police fired baton rounds and used a water cannon to disperse protesters as cars were set on fire and the windows of several houses were smashed.
The disorder began on Monday after a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in the County Antrim town.
The disorder began on Monday after a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in the County Antrim town.
The protest was organised hours after two teenage boys appeared before Coleraine Magistrates' Court .
Seventeen officers were injured overnight, police said, in addition to 15 others on Monday.
The first protest was organised hours after two teenage boys appeared before Coleraine Magistrates' Court .
They spoke through an interpreter in Romanian to confirm their names and ages.
They spoke through an interpreter in Romanian to confirm their names and ages.
Their solicitor said they would be denying the charges.
Their solicitor said they would be denying the charges.
A third man was arrested on Monday night in connection with the sexual assault but was unconditionally released.
Crowds gathered in the Clonavon Terrace area for a second night of violent disorder, which has been described by police as "racist thuggery".
Crowds gathered in the Clonavon Terrace area, where violent disorder, described by police as "racist thuggery", also broke out on Monday night.
Missiles were thrown and barricades were set on fire.
Police said they also dealt with sporadic incidents of disorder in Newtonabbey and Carrickfergus in County Antrim and north Belfast.
Riot officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) deployed to Ballymena warned crowds over a loud speaker to disperse.
A 29-year-old man was charged with riotous behaviour, disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police after Monday's violence.
Some homes have begun displaying stickers outlining the residents' nationalities. Signs which read "British household" another with "Filipino lives here" could be seen on some doors.
Alliance Party assembly member Sian Mulholland told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme that there was a heavily pregnant woman in one of the houses set on fire.
"We were able to direct the police to remove that family and get them out of the area to safety, to the police station," she said.
Mulholland said there was "widespread livestreaming on social media of the violence – directing people where to go, how to get around the police barricades".
The area appears to have calmed but police cars were seen patrolling Ballymena on Wednesday morning, while fire fighters extinguished a small fire behind a wall near Clonavon Road.
A clean-up operation has begun, with debris and burning items being cleared from the roads. Scorch marks and melted bins could be seen on the streets.
Democratic Unionist Party assembly member Paul Frew told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he feared someone would be killed in the disorder.
Democratic Unionist Party assembly member Paul Frew told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he feared someone would be killed in the disorder.
Frew said it was "drowning out the strong and sincere sympathies for victims of sexual violence".
Frew said it was "drowning out the strong and sincere sympathies for victims of sexual violence".
He said tensions had been rising for some time in Ballymena and and people were "frightened about illegal immigration".
He said tensions had been rising for some time in Ballymena and and people were "frightened about illegal immigration".
Police said the disorder broke out shortly before 20:00 BST and lasted until about 01:00 on Wednesday. Barricades were set on fire and were used by rioters to block roads.
Police said they had also dealt with sporadic incidents of disorder in Newtonabbey, Carrickfergus and north Belfast.
In Ballymena, riot officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) warned crowds over a loud speaker to disperse.
In total, 32 police officers have been injured over the two nights of disorder.
A number of homes and businesses were attacked, police said. Two homes were set on fire and other properties had windows smashed.
Some homes began displaying the nationalities of those living there, with one sign saying "British household" and another with "Filipino lives here".
Alliance Party assembly member Sian Mulholland told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme there was a heavily pregnant woman in one of the houses that was set on fire.
"We were able to direct the police to remove that family and get them out of the area to safety, to the police station," she said.
Mulholland said there was "widespread livestreaming on social media of the violence – directing people where to go, how to get around the police barricades".
On Tuesday, Mulholland, told the Northern Ireland Assembly that a family with three young children had to "barricade themselves into their attic" during disorder.
The disorder on Monday night also saw a number of homes seriously damaged by fire.
A number of businesses were also damaged, with windows and doors smashed.
A 29-year-old man has been charged with riotous behaviour, disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police after Monday's violence.
Debris was strewn across the streets on Wednesday morning
Debris was strewn across the streets on Wednesday morning
Police urged anyone involved in the unrest "to reflect long and hard about their actions", and indicated some people on Monday night were "clearly intent on violence".
Police have urged anyone involved in the unrest "to reflect long and hard about their actions".
On Tuesday, the prime minister's official spokesman described the events in Ballymena as "very concerning".
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's spokesman on Tuesday described the events in Ballymena as "very concerning".
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said there was "no justification" for the rioting.
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said there was "no justification" for the rioting.
The MP for North Antrim, Jim Allister, posted on his social media: "Tonight's further senseless violence in Ballymena is helping no cause, just destroying our own town and getting young men criminal records. Stop it."
The MP for North Antrim, Jim Allister, posted on social media: "Tonight's further senseless violence in Ballymena is helping no cause, just destroying our own town and getting young men criminal records. Stop it."
The area appears to have calmed but police cars were seen patrolling Ballymena on Wednesday morning, while fire fighters extinguished a small fire behind a wall near Clonavon Road.
A clean-up operation has begun, with debris and burning items being cleared from the roads. Scorch marks and melted bins could be seen on the streets.
Earlier on Tuesday, Allister rejected criticism from a fellow Northern Ireland MP that his condemnation of Monday's violence was "insincere" and "weaselly".
He said he "utterly repudiated" the comments by Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader Claire Hanna.
Speaking on BBC Newsline, the Traditional Unionist Voice leader said his thoughts were with all who suffered in the violence but also the 14-year-girl who was the alleged victim of the sexual assault.
He added that the underlying tensions had been "there for a long time in this particular part of Ballymena" because there was "an oversubscription of migrants who had been placed there".
When asked about what evidence he was drawing on, Allister said the last time he canvassed a street in the area with 50 houses, he came "upon five local, if I can call them that, residents of Ballymena".
Hanna, the MP for south Belfast, responded by saying "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," she added.
"You can choose each day when you have a mandate and a platform to get up and try and solve problems or you can choose to exploit them, you can choose to try to calm tensions or you can try and fan them."
What have other NI politicians said?
Earlier, previous comments from Jim Allister on Monday, that there had been a demographic change due to "unfettered immigration" in the area, were also criticised by Hanna's party colleague Matthew O'Toole, who said they were "deeply irresponsible".
Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long said she was appalled by the "disturbing scenes" while Sinn Féin's Philip McGuigan, who represents the North Antrim constituency, appealed for calm and urged political leaders to "use measured language".
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