US EditionPetrol bombs thrown at police in fifth night of violence in Northern Ireland as trouble moves to Portadown
- Police in Northern Ireland faced petrol bomb attacks and other violence for a fifth consecutive night as unrest shifted from Ballymena to Portadown.
- The unrest began in Ballymena following reports of a young girl being sexually assaulted over the weekend, an incident that has been compounded by the ongoing riots, further traumatizing her and intensifying local tensions.
- Riots caused damage in multiple towns including Larne, Belfast, Coleraine, and Derry/Londonderry, while fourteen families received emergency accommodation due to attacks on homes.
- Police Service chief Jon Boutcher condemned rioters as “bigots and racists,” reporting 63 officers injured, 15 arrests including two teenagers, and promising successful prosecutions.
- Authorities increased police presence with support from Scotland to protect communities and political leaders called for calm amid ongoing unrest fueled by racism and prejudice.
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17 Articles
Ballymena riots: Petrol bombs on fifth night of violence
A fifth night of violence in Northern Ireland erupted, rounding out what’s been called a ‘week of shame’. Disorder first erupted in Ballymena on Monday, after an alleged sexual assault against a girl. Incidents of rioting and arson, much of it thought to be racially motivated, later spread to other towns. The police say their presence will continue tonight, as they urge families to control their children.
Northern Ireland spends a particularly tense period, marked by repeated violence and confrontations with the order forces. The authorities and political leaders call for peace and called the last days "a sad week" for the region, reports PA Media and Dpa Saturday. To make the fifth consecutive night, the police were attacked, the most recent incident taking place in the city of Portadown.
Police attacked as Northern Irish violence spreads to another town
Rioters attacked police with petrol bombs, rocks and fireworks in the Northern Irish town of Portadown on Thursday, a Reuters witness said, as a fourth night of anti-immigrant violence moved to a different part of the British-run province.
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