LONDON – In an escalation of anti-immigrant unrest in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, a second night of turmoil resulted in injuries to 17 officers. The disturbances saw rioters launching bricks, bottles, petrol bombs, and fireworks, alongside setting vehicles and homes ablaze. On the ground, the Police Service of Northern Ireland resorted to implementing water cannons and rubber bullets to break up a crowd numbering in the hundreds. By approximately 1 a.m. on Wednesday, the violence had subsided, and authorities detained five individuals on suspicion of participating in “riotous behavior.”
The outbreak of violence followed a peaceful gathering to express solidarity with a family affected by an alleged sexual assault incident over the weekend. Authorities have charged two 14-year-old boys in connection with the assault; however, their identities remain undisclosed due to their juvenile status. Proceedings saw the suspects being supported by a Romanian interpreter in court. Subsequent to the march, a mob primarily comprised of young people set fire to several homes and launched projectiles at the police. The preceding night witnessed injuries to 15 police officers.
Tuesday night mirrored those troubling scenes, with isolated disturbances recorded in other Northern Ireland towns. According to Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson, these upheavals were exacerbated by online agitators fueling what he described as “racist thuggery.”
Ballymena, located approximately 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Belfast, has traditionally been a hub of hardline pro-British Loyalism and has experienced strains concerning immigration. Jim Allister, head of the Traditional Unionist Voice party, commented that unchecked migration has been a source of past and potential future tensions. Despite the upheaval, some Romanians living in Ballymena expressed shock over the violence given their longstanding residence in the town. In efforts to avoid being targeted, several homes in the Clonavon Terrace area visibly identified residents as British or Filipino.
Henderson countered conjectures about the involvement of Loyalist paramilitary groups—who remain influential in Protestant communities—affirming no evidence pointed toward their participation in the disorder.
Northern Ireland’s history is steeped in civil disturbances, rooted in the discord between the British unionist and Irish nationalist communities. Although the notorious three-decade conflict known as “the Troubles” dissolved following a peace agreement in 1998, tensions persist between primarily Protestant unionists and mostly Catholic nationalists. In Belfast, “peace walls” still delineate boundaries between working-class Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods. Sporadic street clashes involving rioters and law enforcement are not uncommon, with immigrants becoming recent victims.
Similar anti-immigrant violence emerged in both Northern Ireland and England in the past, notably following the fatal stabbing of three girls during a dance class in Southport. Disinformation spread online mistakenly tagged the U.K.-born attacker as a migrant, contributing to unrest.
In response to the latest disturbances, police condemned the violence and expressed a readiness to call upon reinforcements from England and Wales if necessary. All parties within Northern Ireland’s shared governance issued a unanimous appeal for peace, urging the public to reject divisive narratives propagated by a minority. Regarding the sexual assault, the statement underscored the necessity for the judicial process to proceed unhindered, stressing that those exploiting the situation to incite racial tensions are indifferent to justice.