Actions of PSNI in Ballymena 'saved lives and prevented a pogrom' says Police Federation
Actions of PSNI officers in Ballymena on Monday night saved lives and "prevented a a pogrom with consequences too painful to contemplate"
Liam Kelly said officers in Co Antrim faced attacks which were "totally mindless, unacceptable and feral".
Fifteen officers were injured in disturbances which flared following a protest in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sex attack in the town at the weekend.
The Police Federation for Northern Ireland represents rank and file PSNI officers.
The aftermath of rioting in Clonavon Terrace, Ballymena; the Police Federation said that officers 'prevented a pogrom'
Mr Kelly said: "Once again, our colleagues were caught up trying to quell hate-filled violence on our streets.
"Officers who were trying to protect life and property came under unjustified sustained attack.
"All right-minded people should utterly condemn these actions and provide information and assistance to the PSNI so they can identify those who engaged in the various lawless acts of thuggery.
"Officers' injuries tell a frightening story of a mob fully intent on inflicting great harm on people.
"Police officers worked tirelessly to defuse a potentially explosive situation and uphold the law."
Mr Kelly said the officers had suffered "for their courageous and professional interventions".
He added: "This was mindless violence and thuggery.
"Officers were under great pressure but, to their credit, they restored order over a prolonged period of unrest.
"I have no doubt whatsoever that police officers – far too few because the service is starved of resources and officer numbers – prevented a pogrom with consequences too painful to contemplate.
"What we saw was totally mindless, unacceptable and feral.
"I wish to commend the men and women of the PSNI who undoubtedly saved lives last night. I would appeal for calm, and request that there is no repeat of these shocking images in the town or the lawless acts of intimidation of anyone in our community.
PSNI vehicvles used to form barricade
By Adam Kula and Press Association, Belfast News Letter, June 10th, 2025.
Riot police have been deployed around Clonavon Terrace in Ballymena, and water cannon have been used.
Hundreds of people gathered in the Co Antrim town for a second night, and PSNI vehicles formed barricades on some roads.
On Clonavon Terrace masked males were seen congregating in front of the police line, with a sofa and other debris piled in front of the Land Rovers.
Clonavon Terrace is in the centre of the town, just by the back of the police station.
Fireworks, glass bottles and other objects were thrown at police.
By 9.30pm, a short distance away just off North Street, debris had been piled in the middle of the main road and set alight.
The PSNI have said tonight: “Police are currently dealing with serious disorder in the Clonavon Terrace area of Ballymena this evening.
"Members of the public should avoid the area. An update will be provided in due course.”
It comes after violent disorder on Monday followed an earlier peaceful protest in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area.
Earlier this evening police revealed a third individual had been arrested in relation to that alleged sex attack, and that a man had been charged with rioting on Monday night.
A number of properties where immigrants were living were wrecked, and the police have said Monday’s violence was “racially-motivated”.
Petrol bombs and masonry thrown as police deal with ‘serious disorder’ in Ballymena
By John Breslin, Irish News, June 10th, 2025
Hundreds of people marched through Ballymena on Tuesday evening as riot police were deployed close to the epicentre of where violence broke out late on Monday.
Petrol bombs, fireworks and masonry were later thrown at police in the Clonavon Terrace area. A water cannon was deployed.
The protests
Members of the family of the alleged victim of a serious sexual assault last weekend were among those marching again in Ballymena on Tuesday.
Woman in Ballymena says ‘If they’re not local, let them stay there’, after being told attacked homes have people inside
Multiple hundreds of people gathered the previous evening to protest following the reported assault. Two 14-year-old males appeared before Coleraine Magistrates Court on Monday charged with attempted rape.
Hundreds marched through Ballymena on Tuesday evening (Pacemaker)
The riot police were deployed around Clonavon Terrace in Ballymena a day after serious unrest in the area.
In a statement, the PSNI said: “Police are currently dealing with serious disorder in the Clonavon Terrace area of Ballymena this evening, Tuesday 10th June.
“Members of the public should avoid the area. An update will be provided in due course.”
Ballymena
Police had announced over a tannoy a warning to disperse or “impact rounds will be fired”.
PSNI vehicles formed barricades on some roads.
Carlisle Circus in Belfast was blocked on Tuesday evening by a small number of people protesting about migrants.
The protesters stood on the main road at the Carlisle Circus roundabout thoroughfare, causing traffic disruption.
One protester held a placard reading: Respect our country or leave."
Police were on the scene as the protest took place shortly after 6pm.
A call went out for protests to be held in cities and towns across the north following the gathering, and later violence, in Ballymena on Monday.
Protests were planned in various parts of Belfast, along with Ballymena, Larne, Antrim, Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey and Lisburn.
Protestors blocked the Doagh Road in Newtownabbey at Cloughfern Roundabout.
Crowds were also reported in the Shankill/Woodvale area of Belfast.
The PSNI said it is “aware of several protests across Northern Ireland this evening”,
“Officers are in attendance and will continue to monitor the situation.”
Policing Board member: PSNI riot response was ‘bad image’
Connla Young, Crime and Security Correspondent, Irish News, June 11th, 2025
CONCERNS have been raised about the police response to a race hate riot that saw houses torched in Ballymena.
Footage has emerged of officers wearing high-viz jackets a short distance from homes as they were being attacked.
However, 15 officers were injured in responding to the violence and the Police Federation praised its colleagues’ bravery, saying their actions “prevented a pogrom”.
Last night missiles were reportedly thrown at police as hundreds of people gathered in the Co Antrim town.
Violence flared on Monday evening after two teenage boys appeared in court on rape charges. Tensions erupted after a large group attacked homes at Clonavon Terrace.
In total, six properties were damaged. The home of a Filipino family in Cullybackey, Co Antrim, was also targeted.
Footage on social media showed masked youths, some wearing surgical gloves, smashing windows in two properties, while a man was filmed trying to set one ablaze.
Others are seen trying to kick in the front door of a neighbouring property.
The family homes targeted are located just several doors away from the rear of
Ballymena PSNI station, which can be seen in the background in some of the clips. Officers wearing high-viz jackets are standing nearby away.
It is not known whether anyone was inside or if the occupants were forced to flee.
Other clips show officers in riot gear coming under attack from missiles, along with paint and petrol bombs, as rioters built a barricade across a narrow street.
Some officers needed hospital treatment. One man was also struck by a baton round fired by police.
SDLP Policing Board member Mark H Durkan raised concerns about the response.
‘Bad image when property attacked’
“It’s a bad image when property is being attacked and people potentially being in danger,” he said.
“I can understand, to a degree, a reluctance to exacerbate public disorder – and let’s not forget that 15 officers were injured – but when questions have recently been raised about the police response to homes being attacked in other areas, one would expect a robust police response.”
The Police Federation’s Northern Ireland chair Liam Kelly praised his colleagues.
“They have again suffered for their courageous and professional interventions,” he said. “This was mindless violence and thuggery.
“Officers were under great pressure but to their credit, they restored order over a prolonged period of unrest.”
He said police “prevented a pogrom with consequences too painful to contemplate”.
“I wish to commend the men and women of the PSNI who undoubtedly saved lives last night,” he said.
The PSNI was contacted. Yesterday evening police revealed they had arrested a 28-year-old man on Monday evening in connection with the rape investigation. He was unconditionally released from custody after questioning.
In a separate development, a 29-year-old man arrested during the disorder has been charged with riotous behaviour.
‘I don’t feel safe here any more’ says resident following rioting
Allan Preston, Irish News, June 11th, 2025
AFTER shocking scenes of racist violence erupted in Ballymena on Monday night, residents on the worst affected street were questioning their safety and future.
Clonavon Terrace near the town centre has become the focus of a sexual assault against a young girl over the weekend, with two Romanian teenage boys charged with attempted rape.
Yesterday morning, one terraced house was completely gutted by a fire.
Multiple other houses also had smashed windows, with black wheelie bins used as battering rams overturned on their living room floors
A Romanian brother and sister who have lived in the area for more than 10 years told The Irish News they were horrified by the assault against the girl, but said it could not justify a blanket attack against minorities.
Speaking anonymously to protect his safety, the brother said: “We know what happened to the little girl, which is a pure sin.
“We’re all sorry for it, we’re all thinking about the family and the wee girl.”
“We didn’t expect the riots to happen last night, we tried to get out of the house and go to a safe place around 7pm.
“I’ve lived here 15 years. We’re not happy about what happened, what they’ve done has given all of us a bad name.
‘We are not all the same’
“I know there are bad Romanians, but we are not all the same.
“I have so many friends from here, we got so much support. Everyone was texting us to ask if we are ok.”
The family are now planning to stay with friends until they can move elsewhere.
While understanding the feeling behind the initial protest, he added: “I just think it could be dealt in a different manner. “I don’t think we should pay for what they done.
“I’ve been living here half my life, I personally would have gone out and protested as well.
“But I couldn’t do it because I’m Romanian and the skin colour, they would have probably got me wrong.”
His sister added: “I don’t feel safe here anymore. Even yesterday when I picked up my kids from school, a lot of people were looking really awkward at me and my kids like I was the criminal.
“I’m just a mother picking her kids up from school. I’ve done nothing wrong, I’m a full time worker and I’ve lived here for 11 years. “It’s not right to target everyone like that and leave the kids scared.”
“I’ve lived here 15 years. We’re not happy about what happened, what they’ve done has given all of us a bad name. I know there are bad Romanians, but we are not all the same
Resident
Beside the house destroyed by fire, one woman who grew up in Ballymena hit out against so-called vigilantes who believe they are protecting their community, telling them she and her family are now homeless after seven years.
Taking a break from packing her belongings into a car, she said she witnessed a crowd coming along the street and banging on her neighbour’s door.
After spotting one man carrying what appeared to be a petrol can, she soon heard the smoke alarms from next door.
“I completely understand that people wanted to protest for that young girl,” she said.
“But I just feel like people need to understand that locals live here as well.
“I’ll probably not come back because there’s always something wrong with this area. I just don’t feel safe anymore.”
Police have condemned the disorder, and are treating the damage to the homes as racially motivated hate attacks.
Traffic disruption in Belfast as roundabout closed by protesters
Irish News, June 11th, 2025
CARLISLE Circus in Belfast was blocked yesterday evening by a small number of people protesting about migrants.
The protesters stood on the main road at the roundabout, causing traffic disruption.
Police were on the scene as the protest took place shortly after 6pm.
A call went out for protests to be held in cities and towns across the north following the gathering, and later violence, in Ballymena on Monday. Protests were planned in various parts of Belfast, along with Ballymena, Larne, Antrim, Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey and Lisburn.
By 9pm last night riot police had been deployed around Clonavon Terrace in Ballymena a day after serious unrest in the area.
Hundreds of people gathered in the Co Antrim town.
A protest held at Carlisle Circus in north Belfast yesterday
Police vehicles formed barricades on some roads.
‘My children are frightened to go outside’ says Filipino worker
Allan Preston, Irish News, June 11th, 2025
AS RIOTING broke out in Ballymena, a nightshift worker at the Wright-bus factory received a call to say his family home was under attack.
Kevin Rous (32) from the Philippines moved to Northern Ireland two years ago, settling in Cullybackey with his wife and two children, aged five and nine.
His house is four miles away from the scene of Monday night’s protest following the alleged sexual assault of a young woman.
After two Romanian teenage boys had been charged with attempted rape, the protest in Ballymena had escalated into a series of racist attacks.
Mr Rous told The Irish News that his family had been left traumatised by the overnight petrol bomb attack that nearly destroyed their house.
To the rear of the terraced property in the Tobar Park area, a car he had been fixing for a friend was completely gutted by the fire.
Among the debris was a broken glass bottle he said was used by the attackers just after midnight.
In the same yard, an oil tank was just yards away from the fire but did not ignite.
“I received a call from my wife and told me there was a sudden explosion, she cried and knocked the next-door neighbour’s door for help,” he said.
“They rang the fire and police service, and by the time I got home 15 minutes later this car was completely burned out.”
Mr Rous, who previously worked as a ship mechanic, said he had never encountered any problems here before.
‘This should not be happening’
Addressing his attackers, he said: “We can talk about this. This should not be happening.
Kevin Rous looks at the destruction caused by rioters while he was at work in the Wrightbus factory and from where he received a call from his wife of ‘an explosion’
“I speak to anyone, I’m humble and just like to fix things. My family are in trauma, my youngest is five years old.
“It’s their first time witnessing something like this, they were sleeping.”
He added: “I don’t know why [this happened], maybe there’s maybe extremists or activists.
“I have no enemy, all my neighbours here are my friends. I’m very humble and polite and very friendly.
“My kids are frightened to go outside. We have to look at other accommodation and transfer our things.”
Addressing his attackers, he said: “You should play fair, talk to me. I am a family man, I have to earn a living for my kids and my wife.”
Police investigating the attack are treating it as a racially motivated hate crime.
The disorder on the streets of Ballymena was also strongly condemned.
After the initial protest in the Galgorm Road area, several houses were attacked in the Clonavon terrace area including one destroyed in a fire and at least four others with windows smashed.
Began to build barricades
Police said a number of masked individuals had broken away from the vigil and began to build barricades, stockpiling missiles and attacking properties.
Part of the crowd then turned on the police and attacked officers with petrol bombs and masonry.
“I speak to anyone, I’m humble and just like to fix things. My family are in trauma, my youngest is five years old.”
The sustained disorder then continued in the Galgorm Street, Linenhall Street and Larne Road Link areas.
Rioter hit by plastic bullet and 15 police officers hurt
Irish News, June 11th, 2025
A RIOTER was struck with a plastic bullet in disorder in Ballymena, during which 15 police officers were injured.
One person has been arrested so far but police have said they are working to identify others involved and “bring them to justice”.
The trouble erupted in the Co Antrim town on Monday night following a protest attended by hundreds of people in the Harryville area.
The earlier gathering was linked to a reported serious sexual assault of a teenage girl in the Clonavon area on Saturday.
Two 14-year-old boys have since been charged as part of the police investigation into the assault, and have appeared before court.
Police have said some officers injured in the disorder required hospital treatment.
Four houses in the Clonavon area were seriously damaged when they were set alight, and three people were evacuated.
Two other homes were damaged, with doors and windows broken.
Police have said they are investigating the damage to the properties as “racially-motivated hate attacks”.
Officers are also investigating a petrol bomb attack in the Tobar Park area of Cullybackey early yesterday, while windows were smashed at several business units in the Galgorm Parks area.
Police came under “sustained attack over a number of hours with multiple petrol bombs, fireworks, heavy masonry and bricks”.
A spokesperson said: “During the course of the serious disorder, authorised police officers discharged one attenuating energy projectile with one rioter struck.”
A 29-year-old man has been charged with riotous behaviour after being arrested during disorder in Ballymena on Monday night. He has also been charged with disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police. He is due to appear before Ballymena Magistrates Court on Thursday July 3.
‘Violence clearly racially motivated’
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said at a press conference at Ballymena police station: “Last night saw significant sustained disorder in Ballymena. This violence was clearly racially motivated and targeted at our minority ethnic community and police.
“I want to condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms.
“It has no place in our society and should be loudly condemned by all right-thinking people.
“Last night, we made one arrest. We are actively working to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. Over the coming days, we will have in place a significant policing presence to help protect these communities in Ballymena and prevent any future disorder.
“During the course of the night, 15 officers were injured. I am hugely grateful to them for their bravery in facing this challenge. I also want to put on record my gratitude for colleagues from the fire and rescue service and ambulance service who were responding to help keep people safe.
“We are engaging with groups effected by the disorder to support and reassure them. I would strongly urge anyone who was involved in yesterday’s violent disorder to reflect long and hard about their actions, they will have consequences. I also appeal for calm over the coming days.
“Anyone who has information or who can help identify those responsible is asked to contact police on 101.”
ACC Henderson said officers from England and Wales will be brought in if needed to help the PSNI in the wake of the disorder.
“Should I need any additionality, I’m absolutely assured that my colleagues in policing in England and Wales, the National Police Operation Centre, stand fast and ready to support should we need that support.”
The senior officer said police did not have specific intelligence that there would be a repeat of the violent scenes, but said a significant policing operation would be in place.
Downing Street said there could be no justification for the violence in Ballymena.
Gavin Robinson - Need for more PSNI funding
Jonathan McCambridge, Irish News, June 11th, 2025
VIOLENCE in Ballymena underscores the need for additional funding for the PSNI, DUP leader Gavin Robinson has said.
Political representatives have appealed to those behind racially motivated violence in Co Antrim to stop.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt visited homes in Clonavon Terrace in Ballymena which were targeted during disturbances on Monday night.
Mr Robinson said everyone would be appalled at the scenes.
He added: “Once again when there is disorder, it is the PSNI who are on the front line attempting to protect lives and property.
“The chief constable has been frank in his assessment of the funding pressures facing the PSNI, and I have been resolute in my support for his call for additional resources.
“The chief constable has previously taken his concerns directly to the prime minister and it is incumbent upon the government to ensure the PSNI can protect the people of Northern Ireland.”
Mr Nesbitt said: “It is a well-established fact within health and social care that without our international colleagues the entire system would collapse, so I want to stand in the first case in solidarity with colleagues from around the world who are working here.
“I understand people have concerns about immigration. There are legitimate ways to express those concerns – last night was not one of them. I stand also in solidarity with the blue lights, particularly the fire and rescue service who had to deal with four house fires.
“Every house fire represents a serious risk to those firefighters. I would appeal to people to stop.
Justice minister ‘appalled’ by trouble
John Breslin, Irish News, June 11th, 2025
VIOLENCE on the streets of Ballymena “absolutely appalled” Justice Minister Naomi Long as she vowed those involved will be pursued and held accountable.
The disorder left police officers injured, residents terrorised and properties damaged, she said.
She added: “There is absolutely no place in our society for such disorder and there can be no justification for it. I would appeal to those involved to seriously consider their actions and step back from this behaviour before someone is seriously injured or worse.”
As the clean-up operation continued yesterday, TUV leader Jim Allister faced criticism over remarks he made on “unchecked migration” leading to rising tensions. SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole described the “conflating of a whole range of issues” as “deeply irresponsible”.
Violence broke out following a protest attended by many hundreds of people in Ballymena on Monday evening.
Along Clonavon Terrace, six houses had their windows smashed in and two of those have been taped off after suffering significant fire damage.
Protesters burned plastic road barriers and bins as part of a barricade on the street. Some masked individuals also threw missiles including cans of paint and glass bottles at PSNI vehicles. A line of police vehicles advanced towards the protesters followed by officers on foot.
Firefighters later responded to the burning debris on the road and inspected a nearby house which had filled with smoke.
“Attacking homes and police officers serves no purpose other than to damage communities and raise tensions. Those involved will be pursued and held accountable for their actions,” Mrs Long said.
“I have conveyed to the PSNI my best wishes to the injured officers for a speedy recovery. I am also calling on community and political leaders and all those with influence to condemn this violence and work with the police and community to quell any further disorder or violence.”
How trouble unfolded – and what we know so far
Paul Ainsworth, Irish News, June 11th, 2025
SATURDAY
A SERIOUS sexual assault of a teenage girl is reported to the PSNI as having occurred on Saturday evening in the Clonavon Terrace area of Ballymena, Co Antrim.
Police investigation gets under way into the incident which happened between 7.30pm and 10.30pm.
SUNDAY
The PSNI issues a statement on the assault, in which they state two teenage boys have been arrested in connection with their investigation, and were being questioned in custody.
Police say they have specialist officers supporting the teenage girl, “who has been left extremely distressed and traumatised by what has happened”.
The force also urges members of the public not to speculate on the incident on social media, stating: “This is not helpful towards the ongoing investigation.”
Later on Sunday, police said the two teenage boys who were detained had been charged with attempted rape, and were to appear before court on Monday morning.
MONDAY
AT Coleraine Magistrates Court, two 14-year-old boys appeared via videolink from custody, charged with attempted oral rape.
After confirming their names through a Romanian interpreter, a defence solicitor said both teens were denying the charge, and they were remanded in custody to appear before court again next month.
On Monday evening, hundreds of people gathered in Ballymena as part of a protest related to the case.
Crowds gathered in the Harryville area, and moved along the Larne Street and Queen Street areas.
As the evening continued, video captured in the area shows police in Landrovers attempting to contain the crowds.
In the Clonavon Terrace area, police in riot gear blocked off the road following a gathering of masked individuals.
Officers came under attack from missiles thrown by the crowd, and as the disorder grew in intensity, police issued a statement urging people to avoid the Clonavon Road area.
PSNI Chief Superintendent Sue Steen said: “We are urging everyone to remain calm and to act responsibly.
“Violence and disorder will only place people at greater risk.
“Our priority is to keep the community safe, and I would appeal to everyone to work with us to bring calm to the area as quickly as possible.”
As the disorder continued in the Clonavon area, a makeshift barricade in the middle of a road, consisting of plastic barriers and bins, was set alight.
Footage shared on social media shows hundreds of people standing behind the burning barricade.
A crowd of people, most with hoods up and faces covered, were also filmed targeting houses in the area.
In footage shared online, a crowd can be seen cheering as an individual kicks the door of a property in.
Further footage shows a group of masked individuals surrounding homes and smashing windows with missiles.
Four houses in the area were set alight, and police later confirmed that three people had to be evacuated from the properties.
The NI Fire and Rescue Service arrived to tackle the blazes, and police have said they are investigating the targeting of the properties as “racially motivate hate attacks”.
Police came under “sustained” attack for a number of hours as the disorder continued, and in total, 15 officers were injured.
One person involved in the rioting was struck with a rubber bullet – known as a Attenuating Energy Projectile – fired by police.
It was later confirmed by police that a vehicle in the village of Cullybackey – a few miles outside Ballymena – was targeted in a petrol bomb attack, which is being investigated as linked to the disorder.
A serious sexual assault was reported to have happened in the Clonavon Terrace area on Saturday
The blaze caused damage to a nearby property, with a woman and two children inside.
This attack is also being treated as a racially motivated hate crime.
Meanwhile, a number of windows were smashed at business units in the Galgorm Parks area outside Ballymena.
YESTERDAY
POLICE issued a statement “strongly” condemning the previous night’s disorder, saying it was “clearly racially motivated and targeted at our minority ethnic community and police”.
It also confirmed 15 officers were injured, and that some required hospital treatment as a result.
Although stating just one person was arrested as of yesterday morning, Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson vowed that more arrests would follow.
He said a “significant policing presence” would remain in the town, to “help protect these communities in Ballymena and prevent any future disorder”.
“Evidence suggests that individuals from outside the area came with the express purpose of causing disruption
He added police were “actively working to identify those responsible” for the disorder and attacks in order to “bring them to justice”.
North Antrim MP Jim Allister issued a statement in which he claimed “the actions of a small number have cast a shadow over what was, for most, a lawful protest”.
“Evidence suggests that individuals from outside the area came with the express purpose of causing disruption,” he added.
The MP and TUV leader spoke in his statement of an “influx” of foreign people in Ballymena, “often arriving freely from the Republic under EU movement rules”, saying it “has driven rapid demographic change”.
Mr Allister added: “The failure of successive authorities to manage integration or address local concerns has left many residents feeling ignored and disrespected.
“Nevertheless, violence serves no cause.”
Crucial our politicians show leadership to help calm tensions
Gabrielle Swann, Belfast Telegraph, June 11th, 2025
The PSNI has been warning for months that it takes just one major incident to expose the deficit in resources to safely police Northern Ireland.
Events in Ballymena demonstrate that some policing demands simply cannot be planned for in advance.
Northern Ireland has a serious problem with violence against women and girls. That is not opinion but fact, borne out in statistics that show we have some of the worst rates of domestic abuse and femicide in Europe.
People are right to be angry when it comes to the protection of women and girls.
The issue is a societal one, a hangover from our troubled past, a symptom of a violently armed patriarchy.
Protecting women requires a shift in societal attitudes, from early years education to proper policing and justice.
It requires the promotion of positive male role models, not the Andrew Tate-style online agitators.
The investigation into the alleged attack on a teenage girl in Ballymena is the latest report of violence in the town.
Two 14-year-olds have been charged, while a third is still being sought.
That the suspects are the children of migrants was revealed by court reports that confirmed that they required a Romanian interpreter.
The media is greatly restricted in what it can report in live cases, particularly those involving juveniles.
‘Violence on a scale not seen for years’
But there is no getting away from the fact that many of those who landed in Ballymena on Monday, determined to engage in violence, would not have been there only for the nationality of the suspects.
The family members who organised a protest following the weekend attack did so in good faith. But the reality is, when people are called onto the streets, the results can be unpredictable.
Within hours of the call for a peaceful protest, social media pages linked to far-right organisations were urging people to travel to the town.
The result was violence on a scale not seen there for years, with injuries to police officers and homes destroyed by fire and vandalism.
In 2018, when Britain First leader Paul Golding arrived in Ballymena making false allegations about the allocation of housing, he was sent packing by the good people of that town.
The false narrative about an 'invasion' of foreign migrants was, at the time, challenged by the DUP's Paul Frew, who used facts to debunk myths.
Mr Frew produced figures from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive showing that of all the properties allocated in the preceding 12 months, 2.5% were allocated to 'Persons from Abroad'.
Following Monday's violence, it is for politicians to follow that lead and show leadership, to help calm rather than inflame tensions.
Police under attack during second night of violence
Abdullah Sabri and Christopher Leebody, Belfast Telegraph, June 10th, 2025
SHAMEFUL SCENES AS WATER CANNON DEPLOYED AND BATON ROUNDS FIRED
Police fired more than 20 plastic baton rounds and used water cannon on rioters as violence erupted in Ballymena for the second night in a row.
On Monday migrants' homes were torched as trouble erupted in the Co Antrim town, leaving 15 officers injured in what police branded “racist thuggery”.
A 29-year-old man arrested during the disorder on Monday night has since been charged with riotous behaviour, disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police, the PSNI said.
Last night, riot police were deployed around Clonavon Terrace again after hundreds of people gathered in the Co Antrim town for a second night.
Police came under sustained attack, with crowds later moving towards the town centre, where the windows of a pub were smashed.
PSNI vehicles were attacked as they formed barricades on some roads, while riot officers carrying shields attempted to keep protesters hemmed in.
Petrol bombs, bricks and bottles were hurled at police.
Plastic baton roads were fired back at protesters, as two water cannon were deployed to the scene.
Police dogs were also used to control the crowd, with one dog apparently hurt.
A PSNI spokesman described it as “serious disorder” and advised the public to avoid the area.
Elsewhere, police in Newtownabbey warned that a group of youths with fireworks appeared “intent on engaging in some form of disorder” following a protest in the Cloughfern area.
A PSNI spokesman said: “So that we can avoid any allegation that we target local young people and attempt to criminalise them, I would ask for some assistance from friends, family or anyone with influence to help us protect these young people by diverting them away from the area and help us dispose of the fireworks to which they have gained access.”
It comes after 15 PSNI officers were injured and four homes set ablaze on Monday night.
The violence had flared following an earlier peaceful protest in support of the family of a teenage girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the town at the weekend.
Two 14-year-old boys appeared in court on Monday charged with attempted rape. The charges were read to the teenagers by a Romanian interpreter.
The PSNI said last night they arrested a third person in relation to the alleged sex assault. They said the 28-year-old man was arrested on Monday evening, and was unconditionally released from police custody following questioning.
No ifs, no buts... politicians must call out these odious attacks for what they are
Suzanne Breen, Belfast Telegraph, June 11th, 2025
It was like a scene from the start of the Troubles when families were burnt out of their homes because of their religion.
The thugs in Ballymena had their faces masked as they battered down the doors and smashed windows of people they saw as different.
Racism in 2025 bears a startling resemblance to sectarianism in 1969.
It wasn't even the activities of the male youths engaged in the violence that was the most horrifying.
It was the voice of a woman in one recording aired on BBC's Stephen Nolan Show. As houses are being attacked, a man says: “There's someone in that room inside.”
A female replies: “Aye, but are they local? If they're local, they need out. If they're not local let them stay there.”
This woman was not an outside agitator bussed into Ballymena.
It was the very ordinariness of the voice saying the most extraordinary thing that was most chilling. The racist attacks followed a peaceful march after two 14-year-old boys appeared in court accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in the town.
They confirmed their names and ages through a Romanian interpreter. They are denying the charges.
The violence began when masked men broke away from the rally and began to build barricades and attacked houses on Clonavon Terrace, where many migrant families live.
Petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks were hurled at police. Six homes were attacked — four were damaged by fire. Some businesses were also targeted. It is alleged a rise in ethnic minorities has destabilised the “demographic balance” of the town. The same language has in the past, and sometimes still is, used when Catholic numbers rise in an area.
Stormont figures show just 3.5% of our population is from an ethnic minority compared to 18% in the England and Wales and 13% in Scotland. Northern Ireland remains the whitest and least diverse part of the UK.
Some politicians endorse local anger
Some of our politicians seem more content reflecting the anger of their constituents at newcomers than in practical strategies to integrate migrants into the community.
The alleged sexual assault in Ballymena is no justification for the attacks on Monday night. Like every town in Northern Ireland, it's no stranger to violence against women and girls.
A quick Google shows a range of high-profile cases in the borough over the years. Former Ballymena DUP councillor William Wilkinson was jailed in 2010 for seven years for rape and the attempted rape of a vulnerable woman in her home.
In 2022, Sunday World reported that the convicted rapist was being used by the Orange Order to teach members how to be “active citizens”. He was pictured making a presentation at an Orange hall in Portadown.
Former DUP councillor, and later TUV member, Davy Tweed was convicted in 2012 of child sex abuse charges, which were quashed in 2016 due to the way the jury was directed his initial trial.
Thankfully, there was no violent community response to the convictions of Tweed or Wilkinson. Doors weren't kicked in, windows weren't smashed, businesses weren't burnt.
The thugs in Ballymena are engaging in collective punishment. Everyone with a dark skin is blamed for the alleged actions of individuals. The entire non-white community is stereotyped and scapegoated.
Raymond Labaniego, who works for Wrightbus, has done absolutely nothing wrong. The windows of his home were broken and rioters threatened to kill him. Kevin Rous, who also works for Wrightbus, is equally blameless. Yet there was an arson attack on his home in Cullybackey and his car was burnt out.
These odious attacks must be called out for what they are. No politician should be permitted to conflate them with any other issues.
‘I was protecting the front, they were kicking the back gate’
Seanín Graham, Irish Times, June 11th, 2025
Residents tell of shock after protest over alleged sexual assault descends into attacks on homes
Shards of glass are scattered in the back room of Anita O’Shea’s Ballymena home close to her granddaughter’s toy kitchen and a tortoise enclosure.
It is less than 24 hours since her window was smashed during a night of violent disorder in the Co Antrim town in what police have described as “racist thuggery, pure and simple”.
Fifteen officers were injured with some requiring hospital treatment, said the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). O’Shea has lived in the first row of houses at Clonavon Terrace for 28 years. She says she challenged masked men when they attempted to throw a brick through her living room window on Monday evening.
“Didn’t stop me from getting hit, though. While I was protecting the front windows, they were kicking the back gate and put the side window in,” she says.
O’Shea is disabled and walks with a crutch. Her adopted boxer dog, Floyd, lies at her feet.
“I raised three kids here; this is my family home where my memories are. I’m very angry.”
Late afternoon yesterday and police officers are gathering outside O’Shea’s next- door neighbour’s home. More police are visible further down the street where an immigrant family is packing up a car.
‘Scared for our lives’
Word filters through that more trouble is expected in the evening. The atmosphere is tense and the only sound is drilling and hammering as workers board up five other homes targeted. The air reeks of burning smoke.
“We are scared for our lives,” says Dana Bus from Romania, who has lived in the area for nine years and works in a local supermarket.
Blinking away tears while standing on her doorstep, she has packed her overnight bag as she and her husband plan to stay with a friend.
“I stayed away last night as well. We left at 7pm because of the threats on social media. We have a camera on our doorbell and we could see what was happening. I can’t even describe it; it was horrific,” she says.
“When we came back at 6am, it was like something you would see after a war.”
On Monday evening, hundreds of people attended a peaceful protest in the town over an alleged sexual assault over the weekend. Two 14-year-old boys appeared in court earlier that day charged with attempted rape. The charges were read to the teenagers by a Romanian interpreter.
O’Shea was among those who attended the protest and when she tried to get back to her home at 10pm, she was warned by police it was not safe. Blockades were at either end of Clonavon Terrace as masked men began lobbing bricks through windows.
Red mist
“They took a tow bar from a broken speedboat that was parked in another street and used it to smash windows along the row,” she says. “I told them to stop . . . but the red mist was up and they didn’t hear a thing.”
She begged the attackers to leave her neighbours, a Romanian family, alone, telling them “there are babies in that house”.
“But they came along and put the windows in and kicked the door in. Then tried to light the curtains. I had thought my neighbours were away – I hadn’t heard them all day – but they were all hiding upstairs.
“I saw the woman down the street this morning and I gave her a hug . . it’s to start all over again tonight.”
At the other end of the street, Dana Bus points to her next-door neighbour’s home, where the front windows are also boarded up.
“He is Bulgarian and the nicest man. He was in the street just to see what was happening. He went into his house and just heard, ‘boom’, and all the windows came in. There was one child in the house who is 10. He was really scared.”
Another neighbour, who is from Ballymena, comes up to ask if Bus is okay. “She is a good neighbour,” he says.
Before she leaves for the evening, Bus opens a cellophane bag filled with Union Jack flag bunting; she is putting it inside her front window in the hope it will “keep her safe”.
“I just bought a flag. We hope when they see a flag that we won’t be attacked.”
Members of the public were last night advised by police to avoid the Clonavon Terrace area as riot police were deployed during a second night of “serious disorder”.
Hundreds gathered in the town where fireworks and other objects were thrown at police.
