Northern Ireland Riots Escalate With Petrol Bombs and Chaos

For a second night in a row, riots rocked the town of Ballymena in Northern Ireland on Tuesday, lasting into the early hours of Wednesday morning. Protesters used petrol bombs and fireworks as they clashed with the authorities. In response, police used plastic baton rounds and a water cannon.

The overnight disruption in Ballymena, situated north of the capital Belfast, resulted in the injury of 17 police officers, with some requiring hospital treatment. Five people were arrested on suspicion of riotous behavior, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

Police have said that across both nights of rioting, businesses and homes have been “attacked and damaged,” adding that more vehicles were set alight on Tuesday evening, as tensions escalated. 

A number of protests also took place in other towns and cities across Northern Ireland, including Belfast, Lisburn, and Newtownabbey.

Here’s what to know about the ongoing unrest in Ballymena.

What prompted the riots in Northern Ireland?

The disorder started on Monday, June 9, after a peaceful protest took place in the town of Ballymena over an alleged sexual assault that police say occurred the previous Saturday.

Earlier on Monday, two 14-year-old boys appeared at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court in relation to the assault. The boys are charged with attempted oral rape. Both deny the charges.

The boys appeared via videolink from a juvenile center, and confirmed their names and ages via a Romanian translator.

Later in the day, hundreds of people—including men, women and children—peacefully protested the ongoing case in the town centre of Ballymena, raising concerns about the safety of young women and locals.

Separate riots then began in the town on Monday night, as police reported a number of “missiles” thrown at officers and properties nearby being damaged.

The authorities have referred to the escalated riots as “racially-motivated” attacks that are targeting minority ethnic communities.

Chief Superintendent Sue Steen issued a plea to the public on Monday night, saying: “We are urging everyone to remain calm and to act responsibly. Violence and disorder will only place people at greater risk.”

How long are the riots expected to last?

Speaking to the BBC’s Nolan Show on Wednesday morning, assistant chief constable Ryan Henderson said that more disorder is expected.

“We are absolutely prepared that we may see more of this in the coming days,” he said.“Given that we have seen it now for two nights and the severity has maintained over both nights, we are certainly preparing that we may face similar tonight.”

Henderson urged the public to stay at home on Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, Sky News correspondent Connor Gillies, who is in Ballymena, said that some families are “barricading themselves” in their attics amid the escalating violence. “The talk here in this town is that it could go on for weeks yet,” he said.

How have police responded?

In response to the first night of rioting, Henderson said during a press conference: “This violence was clearly racially-motivated and targeted at our minority ethnic community and the police. It was racist thuggery purely and simply, and any attempt to justify or explain it as anything else is misplaced.”

The BBC has reported that some households have put up signs signifying the ethnicity or nationality of its residents, seemingly in an effort to remain out of harm’s way. One photo showed a sign above a door reading “Filipino lives here.”

In a statement released on Wednesday in response to the second night of chaos, chief constable Jon Boutcher called the riots “mindless violence” and that it was “deeply concerning and utterly unacceptable.”

“These criminal acts not only endanger lives but also risk undermining the ongoing criminal justice process led by the [police] in support of a victim who deserves truth, justice, and protection,” 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.”

The chief constable also thanked the police officers tasked with handling and responding to the riots, adding that he believes the PSNI is “critically underfunded.”

“Despite operating under immense financial pressure—far greater than that faced by other public services in Northern Ireland or police forces across the UK and in the Republic of Ireland—our officers continue to display unwavering professionalism, courage, and resolve,” said Boutcher.

What have politicians said about the riots? 

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer addressed the riots during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

“I utterly condemn the violence that we’ve seen overnight in Ballymena and in other parts of Northern Ireland,” he said. “It is absolutely vital that PSNI are given the time they need to investigate the incidents concerned rather than face mindless attacks as they seek to bring peace and order to keep people safe.”

On Tuesday, a Downing Street spokeperson for the Prime Minister had 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.”

Michelle O’Neill, Northern Ireland’s First Minister, has called for an immediate end to “the racist and sectarian attacks on families across the North and the rioting in Ballymena.”

Speaking out via social media on Wednesday morning, she said: “No one, now or ever, should feel the need to place a sticker on their door to identify their ethnicity just to avoid being targeted.”

Leader of the Northern Irish Unionist Ulster Party Mike Nesbitt, who also serves as Health Minister, said: “There is no justification for this mayhem, and my thoughts are with those who have lost their homes and the greater number who are feeling intimidated and unwelcome. I understand there are community concerns regarding an alleged serious sexual assault. There are legitimate ways to express those concerns. Street violence is not one of them.”

Sinn Féin MP (Member of Parliament) John Finucane has condemned the attacks.

“The racist attacks on a number of homes near the Ballysillan area last night were abhorrent, and my thoughts are with those families affected. Sickening behaviour such as this has no place in our society,” Finucane said in a statement shared via social media on Wednesday morning. “I will be contacting the families affected to ensure they receive the support they need in the time ahead. Racism, wherever it occurs, must be stamped out and faced down through strong leadership in our communities.”