Northern Ireland: new night of anti-immigrant violence, “racist” acts, according to the police

Nine police officers were injured and six people were arrested, including three adolescents, after a third night of anti-immigration violence in Northern Ireland, the police announced on Thursday, June 12.

The clashes mainly occurred in the city of Ballymena, where individuals attacked the police again, throwing towards them Molotov cocktails, fireworks and other projectiles, as well as a hatchet, according to the police, which again used a water cannon to disperse the crowd.

A leisure center, where families displaced by the riots in Ballymena had been temporarily housed, was burnt down in Larne, about thirty kilometers away, without any injuries being deplored.

Ballymena is the epicenter of these riots, caused by the indictment of two teenagers for the attempted rape of a young girl in this city located about fifty kilometers north of Belfast.

Police, who described this violence as “Racists”did not communicate on the origin of the two young people. According to British media, they expressed themselves through a Romanian interpreter during their appearance on Monday in court.

Interrupted trains traffic

Violence, during which dwellings have been burnt down, occurred in a district where a large immigrant population lives. Incidents also took place on Wednesday evening in Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey, not far from Belfast, as well as Coleraine, in the north of the British province, where trains and buses traffic had to be interrupted. Gatherings took place in Belfast, but took place “Mostly in peace”according to the police.

Six people were arrested during the night – two men in his twenties, one thirty, and three teenagers – and “Other arrests will follow”said the police saying to themselves determined to “Identify all those responsible for these criminal disorders”. Six people had already been arrested in the previous nights. Nine police officers were slightly injured, the police added. Thirty-two others had been injured above.

Ryan Henderson, responsible for the Northern Ireland police, again condemned a “Completely unacceptable criminal behavior”. “What we saw last night caused fear and huge disruptions for populations, especially in our transport network”he said.