At least 17 police have been injured and five arrests made in second night of ‘racially motivated’ disorder in Ballymena.
Published On 11 Jun 2025
Hundreds of masked rioters have attacked police and set homes and cars on fire in Northern Ireland’s Ballymena in the second night of disorder described by police as “racially motivated” following a protest over an alleged sexual assault in the town.
Police said on Wednesday that they had arrested five people “on suspicion of riotous behaviour” and that 17 officers had been injured, “with some requiring hospital treatment”, in the previous night’s violence in the town, located about 45km (30 miles) from the capital, Belfast.
“In a second night of rioting and disorder, mainly in the Clonavon Terrace area of Ballymena, police officers came under sustained attack over a number of hours with multiple petrol bombs, heavy masonry, bricks and fireworks in their direction,” the Police Service of Northern Ireland said in a statement.
Riot police were deployed, firing plastic baton rounds, and using water cannon and dog units as part of their response to the disorder.
One house was burned out and rioters attempted to set a second home alight, according to reports, while several cars were set on fire.
The Belfast Telegraph newspaper said that some residents in Ballymena have started to mark their front doors to indicate their nationality to avoid attack, while Irish media outlets report that a call has gone out for protests to be held in other towns and cities in Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.
During earlier violence on Monday, four houses were damaged by fire and windows and doors were smashed in other homes and businesses, in what police said they are investigating as racially motivated hate attacks.
In a joint statement, ministers from across Northern Ireland’s powersharing Executive – which in