Petrol bombs and missiles were hurled at riot police as large crowds gathered in the town of Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland following an alleged sexual assault
Shocking footage has captured the moment that fires broke out on a quiet street as rioting locals clashed with police, throwing objects at riot vans, following an alleged sexual assault.
Fires broke out and ‘missiles’ were hurled at riot police as large crowds gathered in the town of Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Homes were set alight on the town’s Clonavon Terrace as rioters smashed windows and clashed with cops overnight. Cops deployed armoured land rovers and officers armed with baton round guns to try and disperse the crowd of some 2,500 people which had gathered in the area. The unrest was sparked after two teenage boys, both aged 14, were arrested for their alleged involvement in a recent sexual assault of a teenage girl.
They appeared before Coleraine Magistrates’ Court on Monday morning, denying the charge of attempted oral rape via a Romanian interpreter. By Monday evening, crowds had gathered outside Ballymena’s police station and Clonavon Terrace, near the site of the alleged attack that occurred on Saturday, June 7.
The gathering, initially said to be in support of the teen victim of the attack, devolved into a riot as the night went on with windows smashed at several houses on the street and the properties set alight. After 10.30pm, over an hour since the protests escalated into violence, riot police were spotted arriving in the town centre to tackle the escalating unrest.
At the same time, firefighters were busy trying to extinguish wheelie bin fires and stop the flames from reaching adjacent buildings. Fire crews tried to make their way to the houses to tackle the flames at two properties on Clonavon Terrace around 11.15pm.
Meanwhile, rioters were also caught on camera hurling objects at police who had been called to try and restore order in the area in sporadic violence overnight. Videos posted to social media showed groups of masked rioters in front of burned out properties, some with their windows smashed.
Around 12.30am, another home was set ablaze, this time on Larne Street, after people smashed in windows and set the terraced property on fire. 20 minutes later, PSNI riot vans swarmed the scene and began kicking in doors to get local residents to safety – all while masked crowds watched on and streamed the incident on TikTok.
A Police Service for Northern Ireland (PSNI) spokesperson issued a statement: “A number of missiles have been thrown towards police with damage reported to a number of properties. Officers are advising motorists and pedestrians to avoid the Clonavon Road area until further notice.”
They went on to say: “It follows a protest in the area earlier this evening. Officers are in attendance to ensure the safety of everyone involved. They will remain in the area tonight to continue to monitor the situation.”
Chief Superintendent Sue Steen has issued a plea for calm amidst the chaos, stating: “We are urging everyone to remain calm and to act responsibly. Violence and disorder will only place people at greater risk. Our priority is to keep the community safe, and I would appeal to everyone to work with us to bring calm to the area as quickly as possible.”