UK's Starmer condemns two nights of 'mindless' violence in Northern Ireland
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday condemned two nights of "mindless", "racially motivated" violence in the town of Ballymena in Northern Ireland. Unrest was triggered when police arrested two teenagers, who are thought to be of Roma
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday condemned two nights of "mindless", "racially motivated" violence in the town of Ballymena in Northern Ireland. Unrest was triggered when police arrested two teenagers, who are thought to be of Roma
Issued on: 11/06/2025 -
By: FRANCE 24
Video by: Liza KAMINOV
01:52
Four houses were damaged by fire, while rioters smashed windows and doors of homes and businesses in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. © Paul Faith, AFP
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined Northern Irish authorities on Wednesday in condemning what he called two nights of "mindless" violence targeting foreigners.
The unrest that has injured 17 police officers has included rioters throwing petrol bombs, fireworks and bricks, while homes as well as businesses have been attacked.
The violence was triggered by the arrest of two teenagers accused of attempting to rape a young girl. The pair appeared in court on Monday where they asked for a Romanian interpreter.
"We strongly condemn the racially motivated violence witnessed in recent days and make an urgent appeal for calm across society," said ministers from every party in the UK province's power-sharing executive in a joint statement.
Residents had been "terrorised" and police injured, they added, urging people to reject the "divisive agenda being pushed by a "destructive" minority.
Starmer joined them in condemning "mindless attacks".
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined Northern Irish authorities on Wednesday in condemning what he called two nights of "mindless" violence targeting foreigners.
The unrest that has injured 17 police officers has included rioters throwing petrol bombs, fireworks and bricks, while homes as well as businesses have been attacked.
The violence was triggered by the arrest of two teenagers accused of attempting to rape a young girl. The pair appeared in court on Monday where they asked for a Romanian interpreter.
"We strongly condemn the racially motivated violence witnessed in recent days and make an urgent appeal for calm across society," said ministers from every party in the UK province's power-sharing executive in a joint statement.
Residents had been "terrorised" and police injured, they added, urging people to reject the "divisive agenda being pushed by a "destructive" minority.
Starmer joined them in condemning "mindless attacks".
A motorcyclist drives past a damaged house after a second night of protests targeting foreigners in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. © Paul Faith, AFP
Six people were arrested during the second night of riots in the town of Ballymena, around 48 kilometres (30 miles) northwest of Belfast, and other places.
"Hate-fuelled acts and mob rule do nothing but tear at the fabric of our society -- they resolve nothing and serve no one," said Chief Constable Jon Boutcher.
Police will not confirm the ethnicity of the two teenagers who remain in custody, but areas attacked on Monday included those where Romanian migrants live.
Four houses were damaged by fire, while rioters smashed windows and doors of homes and businesses.
"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.
Six people were arrested during the second night of riots in the town of Ballymena, around 48 kilometres (30 miles) northwest of Belfast, and other places.
"Hate-fuelled acts and mob rule do nothing but tear at the fabric of our society -- they resolve nothing and serve no one," said Chief Constable Jon Boutcher.
Police will not confirm the ethnicity of the two teenagers who remain in custody, but areas attacked on Monday included those where Romanian migrants live.
Four houses were damaged by fire, while rioters smashed windows and doors of homes and businesses.
"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.
'Terrifying' scenes
Some of the 17 officers injured had required hospital treatment.
Five people were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour while a sixth was detained on suspicion of disorderly behaviour in Newtownabbey, 30 kilometres away, one of four other places including Belfast where protests erupted.
Tensions in Ballymena, which has a large migrant population, remained high throughout the day on Tuesday.
Residents described the scenes as "terrifying" and told AFP that those involved were targeting "foreigners".
Boarded up houses after a second night of riots in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.
© Paul Faith, AFP
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson on Tuesday denounced the violence as "racist thuggery" and said it had been "clearly racially motivated and targeted at our minority ethnic community and police".
The unrest comes as immigration is increasingly a hot-button issue across the United Kingdom – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – and in the neighbouring Republic of Ireland.
Some 20 percent of Ireland's 5.4-million population is now foreign-born.
Official data showed a population increase fuelled by migration of around 100,000 in the year to April 2024 – the largest since 2007.
The last census in 2021 put the number of people in Northern Ireland who identified as Roma, a distinct ethnic group whose population is largely concentrated in eastern and central Europe, at around 1,500 or 0.1 percent of the population.
The official figures do not indicate how many are longstanding residents or recent immigrants but the census put the number of Romanian-born people living in the province at 6,612.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson on Tuesday denounced the violence as "racist thuggery" and said it had been "clearly racially motivated and targeted at our minority ethnic community and police".
The unrest comes as immigration is increasingly a hot-button issue across the United Kingdom – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – and in the neighbouring Republic of Ireland.
Some 20 percent of Ireland's 5.4-million population is now foreign-born.
Official data showed a population increase fuelled by migration of around 100,000 in the year to April 2024 – the largest since 2007.
The last census in 2021 put the number of people in Northern Ireland who identified as Roma, a distinct ethnic group whose population is largely concentrated in eastern and central Europe, at around 1,500 or 0.1 percent of the population.
The official figures do not indicate how many are longstanding residents or recent immigrants but the census put the number of Romanian-born people living in the province at 6,612.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
RACIST RIOT
This violence was clearly racially motivated and targeted at our minority ethnic community
By AFP
June 10, 2025
Police face protestors during a demonstration in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, sparked by the alleged attempted rape of a young girl by two teenagers - Copyright AFP Alessia MACCIONI
Peter MURPHY
Violence flared for a second night Tuesday in a Northern Irish town after “racially motivated” attacks sparked by the arrest of two teenagers accused of attempting to rape a young girl.
Hundreds of protestors, many of them masked, took to the streets of Ballymena, throwing petrol bombs, bottles and masonry as police responded with water cannon, an AFP journalist said.
There was a heavy police presence in one area of the town, some 30 miles (48 kilometres) northwest of Belfast, as the protesters set fire to a car and barricades. Police also fired plastic baton rounds to disperse the crowds, an AFP journalist saw.
Later as night fell, crowds began to disperse in Ballymena although smaller groups still milled around the town centre. And local media reported that protestors were also blocking roads in Belfast.
The unrest first erupted Monday night after a vigil in a neighbourhood where an alleged serious sexual assault happened on Saturday.
“This violence was clearly racially motivated and targeted at our minority ethnic community and police,” Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said Tuesday.
He told a press conference: “It was racist thuggery, pure and simply, and any attempt to justify it or explain it as something else is misplaced.”
Tensions in the town, which has a large migrant population, remained high throughout the day on Tuesday, as residents described the scenes as “terrifying” and told AFP those involved were targeting “foreigners”.
Two teenage boys, charged by police with the attempted rape of a teenage girl, had appeared in court Monday, where they asked for a Romanian interpreter, local media reports said.
The trouble began when masked people “broke away from the vigil and began to build barricades, stockpiling missiles and attacking properties”, police said.
Houses and businesses were attacked, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said, adding it was investigating “hate attacks”.
Security forces also came under “sustained attack” with petrol bombs, fireworks and bricks thrown by rioters, injuring 15 officers including some who required hospital treatment, according to the force.
One 29-year-old man was arrested and charged with riotous behaviour, disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police.
Four houses were damaged by fire, and windows and doors of homes and businesses smashed.
Cornelia Albu, 52, a Romanian migrant and mother-of-two who lives opposite a house targeted in the attacks, said her family had been “very scared”.
“Last night it was crazy because too many people came here and tried to put the house on fire,” Albu, who works in a factory, told AFP.
She said she would now have to move, but was worried she would not find another place to live because she was Romanian.
– ‘Scared as hell’ –
A 22-year-old woman who lives next door to a burnt-out house in the same Clonavon neighbourhood said the night had been “terrifying”.
“People were going after foreigners, whoever they were, or how innocent they were,” the woman, who did not want to share her name for security reasons, told AFP.
“But there were local people indoors down the street scared as hell.”
Northern Ireland saw racism-fuelled disorder in August after similar riots in English towns and cities triggered by the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport, northwest England.
According to Mark, 24, who did not share his last name, the alleged rape on the weekend was “just a spark”.
“The foreigners around here don’t show respect to the locals, they come here, don’t integrate,” said Mark.
Another man was halfway up a ladder, hanging a Union Jack flag in front of his house as a “precaution — so people know it’s not a foreigner living here”.
“Ballymena has a large migrant population, a lot of people actually work in the town and provide excellent work,” Mayor Jackson Minford told AFP.
“Last night unfortunately has probably scared a lot of people. We are actively working to identify those responsible and bring them to justice,” said Henderson.
A spokesman for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the “disorder” in Ballymena was “very concerning”.
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