By Allan Preston
June 10, 2025 at 1:11pm BST
AS rioting broke out in Ballymena on Monday night, a nightshift worker at the Wrightbus factory received a call to say his family home was under attack.
Kevin Rous (32) from the Philippines moved to Northern Ireland two years ago, settling in Cullybackey with his wife and two children, aged five and nine.
His house is four miles away from the scene of Monday night’s protest following the alleged sexual assault of a young woman.
After two Romanian teenage boys have been charged with attempted rape, the protest in Ballymena had escalated into a series of racist attacks.
Mr Rous told the Irish News that his family had been left traumatised by the overnight petrol bomb attack that nearly destroyed their house.
To the rear of the terraced property in the Tobar Park area, a car he had been fixing for a friend was completely gutted by the fire.
Among the debris was a broken glass bottle he said was used by the attackers just after midnight.
In the same yard, an oil tank was just yards away from the fire but did not ignite.
“I received a call from my wife and told me there was a sudden explosion, she cried and knocked the next-door neighbour’s door for help,” he said.
“They rang the fire and police service, and by the time I got home 15 minutes later this car was completely burned out.”
Living in Northern Ireland for the last two years Mr Rous, who previously worked as a ship mechanic, said he had never encountered any problems before.
Addressing his attackers, he said: “We can talk about this. This should not be happening.
“I speak to anyone, I’m humble and just like to fix things. My family are in trauma, my youngest is five-years-old.
“It’s their first time witnessing something like this, they were sleeping.”
He added: “I don’t know why (this happened), maybe there’s maybe extremists or activists.
“I have no enemy, all my neighbours here are my friends. I’m very humble and polite and very friendly.
“My kids are frightened to go outside. We have to look at other accommodation and transfer our things.”
Addressing his attackers, he said: “You should play fair, talk to me. I am a family man, I have to earn a living for my kids and my wife.”
Police investigating the attack are treating it as a racially motivated hate crime.
The disorder on the streets of Ballymena was also strongly condemned.
After the initial protest in the Galgorm Road area, several houses were attacked in the Clonavon terrace area including one destroyed in a fire and at least four others with windows smashed.
Police said a number of masked individuals had broken away from the vigil and began to build barricades, stockpiling missiles and attacking properties.
Part of the crowd then turned on the police and attacked officers with petrol bombs and masonry.
The sustained disorder then continued in the Galgorm Street, Linenhall Street and Larne Road Link areas.
A total of 15 officers were injured including some needing hospital treatment, with two police vehicles also damaged.
The attacks on the Ballymena properties are also being treated as racially-motivated hate attacks
A 29-year-old man has since been arrested on suspicion of riotous and disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police.
by pickneyboy3000
17 comments
Unfortunately these people are learning what Catholics learned a long time ago. Shit they used to attack ordinary people going to Mass in Harryville every week.
Used to pipe bomb kids walking to primary school with their parents in North Belfast.
Always were cunts.
Horrible bastards
Why attack someone who clearly has no connection to what happened? Absolutely mind boggling
Ah yes those age old enemies of the proud loyalist people
Filipinos!!! (???)
So am I understanding this right – this man lives in Cullybackey and they fucking burned him and his wife and children out?!
Where there attacks against immigrants all over Ballymena last night?
I’d only seen the shite at Clonovan Terrace but this is fucking sinister and disgusting.
What is it about Unionists and Loyalists that as soon as June and July roll around they go out and start wrecking the place?
Idiots probably couldn’t spell Roma nevermind find one to attack
This is really awful. This is 5 minute walk from my house and the village has a lot of Filipino/Asian immigrants who are always incredibly pleasant and always out at 6am cycling to work in local factories. Very hard working people, definitely harder working than the idiots who have done this.
I have no doubt these people felt left out they couldn’t be involved in the main “protest” and decided they wanted to burn something so they felt like they were making a difference. Lowlifes.
Pure racist cunts. Everyone who was at that protest was just looking for an excuse.
Sad, so sad. His response is so genuine and brave. Shame on the louts that did this.
This actually makes me feel sick with rage.
I admire his calm and graceful response to be honest. Probably works more than all the wee masked cunts ever will in a lifetime. So much hate misdirected, shitting where we eat and finding out the hard way. The absolute idiocy combined with sinister undertones directing the disorder, just foreshadowing how July will be now I suppose.
‘This is your country this is your home this is the house where you grew up alone’
‘Remember this, remember this for what it was’
So is this the norm now? Everyone stands back and says “ashakkin soitis” instead of nipping this shit in the bud before it starts. Seriously, what is stopping the average group of folk from ganging up on an arsonist and apprehending them?
We’re like a bunch of mealy mouthed cowards, having plenty to say after the fact and doing fuck all to intervene. Don’t forget to collect your condemnation karma on the way out.
Racists, gonna race.
I’m white and I would not feel safe in some areas around here (especially with flags).
As others are saying, these racists don’t care one bit about women being sexually assaulted, this is just an excuse for racist attacks and rioting as the previous summer riots were.
Truly fucking depressing.
Absolute vermin
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