Police face fresh attacks in Portadown as Ballymena violence forces families into hiding.
Northern Ireland descended into a fourth consecutive night of violent disorder on Thursday, as police came under attack in Portadown, County Armagh, while tensions simmered across multiple towns following days of racially-charged unrest.
In Portadown’s town centre, around 400 protesters gathered under the watchful eye of heavily equipped riot police. Tensions flared when some members of the crowd pulled bricks and masonry from a derelict building and hurled them at officers. Police broadcast loudspeaker warnings, threatening the use of baton rounds if the crowd failed to disperse.
More than 20 police vehicles lined the main street, blocking several key roads. Fires were set alight in the area, prompting officers to intervene and extinguish the blazes as a police helicopter hovered overhead. At one point, rioters even threw an empty beer keg at police lines.
Though the violence in Portadown marked a continuation of the unrest, it remained less severe than earlier incidents in Ballymena, where the initial protests erupted on Monday. Those demonstrations began peacefully, sparked by anger over an alleged sexual assault in County Antrim. However, they quickly spiralled into targeted violence against ethnic minorities and law enforcement.
Over the first three nights, police reported 41 officers injured and arrested 15 individuals. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) described the attacks as “racist thuggery, pure and simple,” aimed at minority communities and police.
Families in Ballymena endured terrifying scenes, with some forced to hide in attics and wardrobes as mobs attempted to storm their homes. Outreach worker Jody Esguerra, who supports the Filipino community, described one family’s ordeal: “They’re scared for their lives. They didn’t expect any of this to happen.”
The violence has drawn widespread condemnation. DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley called for calm, stressing: “Nobody wants to see violence on our streets, no matter where they come from in Northern Ireland.”
The Social Democrat and Labour Party (SDLP) leader Claire Hanna branded the scenes “dystopian,” calling them “one of the most disturbing things I’ve seen in this very, very challenged place.”
Mukesh Sharma, chair of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, issued a stark warning: “It is hard to find the words to describe the scenes of vitriol and hatred on our streets. This violence needs to stop before a life is lost or serious injuries sustained.”
In response to the escalating situation, police reinforcements flooded the region. The PSNI received additional support from Police Scotland under mutual aid agreements. Despite the bolstered police presence, the threat of violence remained high across several towns.
In Ballymena’s Clonavon Terrace, where much of the earlier violence took place, rioters stayed away on Thursday. However, tensions remained palpable in other parts of Northern Ireland.
In Larne, masked youths attacked and torched a leisure centre that had been providing emergency shelter for displaced families. Olympic swimmer Danielle Hill, who was present at the facility, described cancelling swimming lessons after spotting masked men nearby. “It’s sad. It’s awful,” Hill said. “When there’s kids involved, it’s upsetting. It shouldn’t be happening.”
Authorities are assessing the extensive damage to the leisure centre, which remains closed.
The unrest has not been limited to Ballymena and Portadown. Incidents have also erupted in Carrickfergus, Coleraine, north Belfast and Newtownabbey.
At Thursday’s press conference, Boutcher confirmed three young suspects had already appeared in court, with one additional suspect currently outside the jurisdiction. He vowed further prosecutions, stating: “We’ll be releasing images of those responsible. We will be going after them.”
As police brace for further potential flashpoints, community leaders continue urging calm, warning that further violence risks deepening wounds in an already fractured region.
THE GUARDIAN
Violent riots have rocked Ballymena, Northern Ireland, for three nights following the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl by two 14-year-old Romanian boys. The unrest, initially sparked by a vigil, quickly escalated into racially charged violence targeting foreign residents. Police described the disorder as racially motivated, with homes, businesses, and vehicles attacked. Smaller protests spread to Lisburn, Coleraine, Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, and Belfast. Ballymena, a working-class, loyalist area, has seen growing resentment over immigration, particularly from Eastern Europe. Residents voiced grievances over migrants allegedly straining public services and committing crimes, which they feel authorities ignore. The riots echo last year’s anti-immigrant unrest in Belfast’s Sandy Row. While Ballymena residents express feelings of being “overrun” and abandoned, statistics show Northern Ireland’s poverty rates are lower than parts of northern England. Police have prevented further escalation but warn of ongoing tensions as families remain fearful, with some forced to flee their homes.
THE TELEGRAPH
Northern Ireland faced a fourth night of violent unrest, with rioters clashing with police in Portadown. Masked youths hurled missiles as officers vowed to prosecute the “bigots and racists” fuelling the disturbances. So far, 15 arrests have been made across the four nights. The violence, initially sparked in Ballymena after two Romanian teenagers were charged with the attempted rape of a local girl, has since spread to other towns. Police describe the disorder as racially motivated, with foreign nationals and their properties repeatedly targeted. The unrest has drawn sharp condemnation from political leaders, with Keir Starmer calling the violence “completely unacceptable.” Authorities remain concerned about further escalation as tensions over immigration, crime, and identity continue to simmer in loyalist areas. The PSNI has pledged to use all available resources to restore order and identify those responsible. Families from migrant communities remain fearful, with some already fleeing their homes for safety.
