Masked youths targeted a leisure centre in Larne, Northern Ireland, on Wednesday, setting fires in its lobby just hours after migrant families displaced by earlier riots had been relocated from the facility, Reuters reported.
The attack marked a third consecutive night of violence initially sparked by sexual assault allegations against two teenagers in Ballymena, though police noted reduced crowd sizes in the primary flashpoint town.
The unrest erupted after two 14-year-old boys appeared in court via Romanian interpreter on Monday, accused of a “serious sexual assault” on a local teenage girl. Their lawyer stated they denied the charges. By Tuesday, violence in Ballymena escalated as “hundreds of masked rioters” attacked police, torching homes and cars in what authorities condemned as “racist thuggery.”
Wednesday saw a smaller but still dangerous confrontation in Ballymena, where youths hurled rocks, fireworks, and petrol bombs at officers, who deployed water cannon. Nine additional officers sustained minor injuries, bringing the total to 41. Police confirmed a hatchet was thrown at their lines during the disorder.
Meanwhile, assailants smashed windows and ignited fires at the leisure centre serving as temporary shelter in Larne. A woman present during the attack described the perpetrators as acting “like rabid animals.”
Justice Minister Naomi Long branded the leisure centre assault “completely unjustified and unjustifiable,” while Finance Minister John O’Dowd labelled attackers “racist thugs.” Communities Minister Gordon Lyons faced criticism for earlier Facebook posts about migrant relocations, which he claimed inadvertently fueled rumours of permanent housing at the centre. Lyons later called the attacks “despicable” and worked to dispel misinformation.
Three Filipino families fled Ballymena after arsonists burned their car, with one telling Reuters they feared for their lives. Police are investigating all property damage in Ballymena as racially motivated hate crimes. Nine arrests include three teenagers charged with riot offences.
Violence also flared in Coleraine and and Newtownabbey, reviving sectarian tensions in a region. Britain’s Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn stated:
This kind of behaviour is … deeply damaging. It’s very frightening, and it needs to stop.
