Anti-immigrant unrest grips Northern Ireland for fourth consecutive night as police clash with protesters

PORTADOWN, June 13 — Northern Ireland experienced a fourth consecutive night of anti-immigrant unrest yesterday, as police confronted demonstrators in a second town despite heavy rain.

Officers fired plastic baton rounds to disperse several hundred protesters who had gathered in Portadown, about 50 miles (80 kilometres) southeast of Ballymena — the town where an alleged sexual assault triggered the wave of violence — according to an AFP correspondent.

Ballymena, located roughly 30 miles (48 kilometres) northwest of Belfast, had already seen three nights of rioting, which left behind widespread damage. So far, 41 police officers have been injured and 15 people arrested.

The unrest began Monday night following the arrest of two teenagers accused of attempting to rape a young girl over the weekend.

Police have not confirmed the suspects' ethnicity, but they remain in custody and reportedly requested a Romanian interpreter in court.

Authorities said foreign nationals were forced to hide in wardrobes and attics to escape the mobs. On Thursday, police urged an end to the violence and warned that those responsible would be arrested.

“Stop this violence,” said Northern Ireland police chief Jon Boutcher. “We will come after you. We will arrest you. We will prosecute you successfully.”

So far, 15 individuals have been arrested and four charged in relation to the ongoing disorder.

Boutcher condemned the riots as “wanton, disgraceful criminal behaviour that is absolutely race motivated.” He stressed that foreign nationals in the area are not criminals but valued, well-integrated members of society.

Clonavon Road — the epicentre of the unrest and home to a large eastern European community — was nearly deserted on Thursday. Many houses were damaged, and British, English, or Northern Irish flags were draped from windows. Some displayed signs indicating the residents were Filipino.

There were growing concerns on Thursday that the violence would spread. In Portadown, a housing association urged residents to leave and take precautions to protect their homes.

In a letter cited by the BBC, Arbour Housing described Thursday night’s demonstration as being “directed towards migrants, foreign nationals, and what are perceived as deviant behaviour,” and advised residents to secure their property and belongings.

Political leaders across Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government have denounced what they called “racially motivated violence,” while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the “mindless violence.”

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn, who visited Ballymena on Thursday, also strongly condemned the disorder, describing it as “terrible scenes.”

Police branded the unrest as “racist thuggery” and deployed riot squads with dogs. They have also requested backup from police forces in England and Wales.

Alex Kane, a political commentator and former communications director for the Ulster Unionist Party, told AFP the majority of those involved in the rioting were from the working-class loyalist community — a group generally supportive of Northern Ireland remaining part of the UK.

“This is a demographic that feels abandoned,” he said, adding that communities made up largely of youth are often more easily provoked and mobilised. “It’s a problem that’s not going away anytime soon.”

Eighteen-year-old college student Lee Stewart admitted the protests might be “a bit extreme” but insisted they were necessary “to defend our own people.”

“We feel like the police aren’t doing enough to protect those poor wee girls,” he said. — AFP