Riots broke out in Northern Ireland last night following the arrests of two teenage boys who needed a Romanian interpreter when they appeared in court for attempted rape.
Around 2,500 people gathered in the Harryville area of Ballymena, Co Antrim, yesterday after the alleged incident, which is said to have taken place in the town on Saturday evening.
Two 14-year-old boys had appeared in court in court after the serious sexual assault on a teenage girl in Clonavon Terrace.
They confirmed their names and ages through a Romanian interpreter at Coleraine Magistrates' Court on Monday morning, the BBC first reported.
Hours later, videos on social media showed a huge crowd gathered in a local park before moving towards the Clonavon Terrace area.
Barricades were then erected and blazing fires lit, with a large police presence at the scene as well as other emergency services.
Missiles including masonry and petrol bombs as well as paint were hurled at police lines, according to local reports, while nearby properties were also vandalised by masked youths who were accused of setting fires. A police car also had its windows smashed.
The two 14-year-old boys are charged with attempted oral rape and both deny the charges.
The teenagers appeared in court yesterday via videolink from Woodlands Juvenile Centre. They sat side-by-side wearing grey tracksuits.
There was no application for bail – but their solicitor said both teenagers the charge.
They were remanded in custody and will appear again at Ballymena Magistrates' Court on July 2.
Last night protesters gathered in the town.
The PSNI said in a statement last night: 'Police are dealing with public disorder in Ballymena town centre this evening.
'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.
'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 said: '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.'
Officers are advising motorists and pedestrians to avoid the Clonavon Road area until further notice.
They will remain in the area overnight to continue to monitor the situation, it is understood.
by dead-end-kid
24 comments
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Drove past last night as they were being dispersed and there looked to be a few hundred at max. Certainly nowhere near 2.5k
Why weren’t the same protests staged against Jeffrey? Horrible people do horrible crimes and shoukd all face similar punishments regardless of race or religion
It goes without saying that this isn’t about girls’ safety or however these knackers want to spin it. If they pulled this every time an English-speaking local was arraigned on sexual assault they’d be doing nothing BUT rioting day in day out
What’s oral rape? I can guess but is it actually the obvious thing? Don’t want to Google it.
They should have not mentioned needing an inteprator
I can understand a lot of the frustrations residents in Ballymena feel, lack of affordable housing and a town who’s high street is dying. But those frustrations should be taken out on government and others who are involved in making policy.. not on a foreign community who are also victims of a broken system.
I suspect there is a gag order from the government for media outlets reporting minorities as the perpetrators. The Liverpool incident, the man was identified straight away.
“Honey your racism is showing”😬 wouldn’t see people out in force like this if it was a local committed the crime… you’d have the country eating popcorn and arguing over whether they even did it or not.
Although, these wee fucks do give their whole community a bad name. I know some lovely Romanian people who live near me and they’re sick and tired of these rats getting on like this because it gives people a reason (in their heads) to be racist towards all Romanians. A year or two ago, some Romanian lads kicked this wee man’s fuck in. He’s a local man with special needs that everyone in my town knows and loves, loveliest wee man in existence and the Romanian woman a few doors up from me was telling me she was scared to leave the house alone after it in case people gave her grief for being from the same community.
Evil isn’t synonymous with race or ethnicity, evil is just evil whether you’re from the island or not.
To people who say why should it matter that they’re foreign?… It’s because these attacks may be committed by some groups in a higher proportion than others.
Let’s say Group A is made up of 100 people. And Group B is made up of only 10 people…
If 2 people from Group A commit an attack, and 2 people from Group B commit an attack, then many Redditors will say “see, there’s no difference!”
But if the Government want to continue bringing more people from Group B into the area, it is wise for people to question whether this will lead to higher rate of attacks.
LOCAL RAPISTS ONLY!
Proof that literally any comment or view on this subject will be down voted
Smash up the neighbourhood for the peaceful people living there whilst the perpetrators are elsewhere in jail? Make it make sense.
The mental acrobatics on display here are amazing.
‘Annoyed because some foreigners have come to your town and tried to rape a local child? What the hell is wrong with you?!?! [ insert deflection tactic here ]
Where are they remanded in custody…….Kincora?
Roma aren’t Romanian.
Didn’t see protests when Jeffrey Donaldson was arrested, or those rugby players, or any other accused rapist who was local. It’s a misogyny problem, and the fact that two 14-year-olds think they can rape another child is indicative and deeply concerning.
Harryville? Isnt that where they used to have protests outside Mass every Saturday night?
Romanians are counted as white aren’t they?
Confusing to understand why are people rioting, the punishment is not strong enough I guess? Also, those two minors from Romania, how are they in the country, if they don’t speak the language at all?
Who organised the protest?
My TikTok was full this morning of these wingnuts posting ‘If it was your daughter you would have done the same!’ on videos of an entire row of houses with their windows smashed.
They’re off their heads
Not one comment condemning the assault in question. More concerned over themuns and ussuns.
So the demand is for rapists to integrate better? Someone with a sign: speak English before raping?
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