Masked rioters target foreign families in Northern Irish town

More than 30 police officers have been injured in two nights of riots during which mobs have thrown petrol bombs, fireworks and bricks at homes and businesses.

A burnt car and a damaged house, after a second night of an anti-immigration disorder in Ballymena. Picture: AFP

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Families are fleeing their homes in Ballymena after masked rioters began to single out properties belonging to foreign nationals during a second night of race-related disorder in the Northern Irish town.

Witnesses said gangs in black clothing and balaclavas shouted “where are the foreigners?” as they smashed windows and set fire to houses.

The authorities were braced for a third night of disorder yesterday (Wednesday) in the Co Antrim town after previous pleas for calm by leaders from across the political spectrum were ignored.

The rioting erupted on Monday after a vigil was held for a teenage girl who was allegedly assaulted by two 14-year-old boys. The pair had appeared in court over the attempted rape earlier that day, where the charges were read to them by a Romanian interpreter.

Much of the violence on the Ballymena streets had originally been targeted at the local Roma community, which has a significant presence in the area.

Jim Allister, the Traditional Unionist Voice MP for North Antrim, courted controversy for linking the rioting to “unchecked immigration” in the area.

Foreign citizens with links to a range of countries described how they had been swept up in the violence as rioters descended on their properties.

Masked youths threw a bar stool through the front window of the home of Vladimir, 33, from Slovakia, and his partner, Pavlina, 35, from the Czech Republic at 11.22pm on Tuesday evening (local time). Vladimir, who has lived in Northern Ireland for 14 years, said the incident had been deeply affecting. He told The Times: “I’m paranoid when I’m in the centre, I’m paranoid when I look at anybody in the eyes.”

Pavlina, who works at a local chicken factory, has an 11-year-old daughter and has lived in Northern Ireland for 17 years, said: “I’m scared for my family.”

To prevent their homes being targeted, locals in the majority protestant town have been displaying the Union Jack and Northern Irish flag in their front windows. Several houses in the Clonavon Terrace area are displaying signs reading “Filipino lives here” alongside the country’s flag.

Community leaders pleaded with rioters not to target homes of what they called the “many hard-working foreign nationals”. A rioter responded: “There is no such thing as a good foreigner.” One Ballymena property was destroyed after being set on fire.

The family of the girl whose alleged assault triggered the rioting said they in no way condoned the disorder.

Jon Boutcher, chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), warned that the rioting risked undermining the criminal justice process into the alleged sex attack.

Ministers from Northern Ireland’s political parties, including Sinn Fein, the DUP, the Alliance Party and the Ulster Unionists, said those involved in violence had nothing to offer society but “division and disorder”.

The PSNI has requested support from colleagues in the rest of the UK amid concerns that similar scenes could erupt in other towns. Police discharged plastic baton rounds and used water cannon during the rioting. Officers have been targeted with petrol bombs and flying masonry, with 33 of them injured over the two nights.

Five people were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour in Ballymena on Tuesday and another person was arrested on suspicion of disorderly behaviour in nearby Newtownabbey.

The Times