The police in Northern Ireland have condemned an outbreak of disorder in the town of Ballymena on Monday night in which 15 officers were injured and houses and shops were set on fire.
Officers came under “sustained attack” for several hours, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, which said in a statement that rioters, many of whom were masked, had thrown petrol bombs, fireworks, heavy masonry and bricks at the police.
The statement added that attacks on several houses and businesses, in which some had windows and doors smashed and others were set on fire, were being investigated as racially motivated hate attacks. Three people were evacuated from four homes that were set alight, and some of the 15 officers who were injured required hospital treatment.
The violence followed the appearance in court earlier on Monday of two 14-year-old boys who had been charged with serious sexual assault of a teenage girl on Saturday night. Both boys have been charged with attempted oral rape and deny the charges, the BBC reported, adding that they had confirmed their names and ages through a Romanian interpreter.
A planned demonstration in Ballymena over the case began at about 7:30 p.m. on Monday.
Crowds of people made their way through the town and toward the scene of the alleged assault, Clonavon Terrace. The police said that the procession was “initially peaceful” and officers were present because of the large number of people who had gathered.
But later a number of masked individuals broke away and began to build barricades, stockpiling missiles and attacking properties, the police added.
Far-right groups and influencers on social media had amplified news of the assault case and celebrated the violence.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said: “The shocking scenes of disorder on the streets of Ballymena have to be condemned in the strongest terms.”
“I would strongly urge anyone who was involved in yesterday’s rioting and disorder to think long and hard about their actions,” he added. “Violence and disorder will only place people at greater risk.”
A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of riotous and disorderly behavior and other offenses.
The police said they were also investigating reports of a petrol bomb attack in the village of Cullybackey, around three miles away, shortly after midnight on Tuesday.
A vehicle was set on fire and a nearby property, with a woman and two children inside, was damaged, in what investigators are treating as a racially motivated hate crime.
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