Families hid in attics during ‘race motivated’ disorder, says chief constable

Families hid in attics and wardrobes during violent disorder in Ballymena, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable has said.

This comes following three days of violence in Ballymena, and some other towns, in which 41 officers were injured and 13 people arrested.

The disorder began on Monday after a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in the County Antrim town.

Jon Boutcher described that violence as “racist”, adding “the people who are threatening families who are different to them – that is racism”.

Mr Boutcher said after a peaceful protest was “hijacked” on Monday evening, police and the fire service had to help families “who have done nothing wrong”.

He added that: “We stand absolutely shoulder to shoulder with the diverse communities in Northern Ireland.

“These bigots and racists will not win the day.”

The first protest was organised hours after two teenage boys appeared before Coleraine Magistrates’ Court.

They spoke through an interpreter in Romanian to confirm their names and ages. Their solicitor said they would be denying the charges.

Mr Boutcher said the family of the young girl wanted the violence to stop.

“She’s been further traumatised by what has happened over the last three nights,” he said.

The worst of the disorder took place in Ballymena, mainly in the Clonavon Terrace area.

Police have described the disorder as “racist thuggery, pure and simple” and targeted at ethnic minorities and law enforcement.

Over the three days in Ballymena, police officers came under sustained attack with petrol bombs, heavy masonry, bricks and fireworks thrown in their direction.

Mr Boutcher called on those involved to stop and warned that there will be prosecutions.

“Don’t come out onto the streets tonight. If you do we will police you, and we will deal with you through the criminal justice system.”

“We’ll be releasing images of those responsible. We will be going after them.”

On Wednesday, the PSNI confirmed that a significant number of extra police officers were being deployed into areas affected.

Police Scotland has agreed to send officers, after police in Northern Ireland requested extra support under mutual aid arrangements.

The deployment will involve an undisclosed number of public order officers trained to police civil unrest.

In Larne, masked youths attacked a leisure centre and set it on fire on Wednesday.

The centre had been providing emergency shelter for families following the clashes earlier in the week, the council said.

There have also been incidents in Larne, Carrickfergus, Coleraine, north Belfast and Newtownabbey.

Olympic swimmer Danielle Hill, who competed in both the Paris and Tokyo Games, has condemned the attack on Larne Leisure Centre.

Ms Hill, who swims for team Ireland, was at the facility when the attacks took place.

She said: “I went to move my car, and four masked men walked around the corner, and I thought, okay, this is time to go.”

The 25-year-old said: “This isn’t what we want. There are kids involved. And it’s my duty to care and protect those guys so I made the decision then to cancel my session.

“As I went back inside to clear my stuff and clear all the kids and make sure they were picked up, I came back outside and there were people in balaclavas standing around the corner.

“I got a phone call from a family friend to say that if I hadn’t already, I should leave. I instantly rang our duty manager and spoke to a child protection officer inside and told them to evacuate.”

Ms Hill said: “I mean, it’s sad. It’s awful. I lay awake last night. When there’s kids involved it’s upsetting. It shouldn’t be happening. There was no need for the violence.

“As a club, we’re deeply saddened that It got to that stage and that those kids had the witness what they did.

“We can only hope that one day they will come back and that this isn’t a place of fear for them and that it is that safe place where they can go and be kids.”

In a statement, a council spokesperson said they’re “assessing the significant damage” and that “the centre remains closed”.

A housing association has warned its residents to leave their homes and take measures to protect their properties ahead of a planned protest in County Armagh.

Arbour Housing in Portadown sent a letter to its residents stating Thursday’s demonstration in the town is “directed towards migrants, foreign nationals, and what are perceived as deviant behaviour”.

The letter added that the demonstration could lead to an “unsafe situation” and advised them to “stay with family or friends during the protest”.

The police have said they are aware of social media posts calling for protests across Northern Ireland on Thursday evening and in the week ahead.

Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said: “We urge anyone who plans to attend these protests to engage with us as we will be doing our part to ensure the safety of participants and to facilitate the lawful exercise of freedom of expression.

“Police will not tolerate a repeat of the scenes we saw last night in Ballymena and other parts of Northern Ireland,” he added. “We will continue to diligently monitor the situation.”