Three teens charged following violence in Ballymena

By Jonathan McCambridge, Cillian Sherlock and Rebecca Black, PA

Three teenagers have been charged following disorder in Ballymena.

The three males, aged 15, 17 and 18 years, have been charged with riot, while the 15-year-old has also been charged with criminal damage following scenes in the Co Antrim town on Tuesday night.

They are to appear before Ballymena Magistrates’ Court later.

Meanwhile, two other teenage boys who were arrested during the disorder have been released on bail to allow for further police inquiries.

Police in Northern Ireland condemned a third consecutive night of “completely unacceptable” disorder on Thursday morning.

They said on Wednesday night in Ballymena, their officers came under sustained attack with multiple petrol bombs, a hatchet, heavy masonry, bricks and fireworks thrown at them.

Officers responded with water cannon, dogs and plastic baton rounds in an attempt to disperse crowds in the town.

Nine officers were injured, while two men, aged in their 20s, and one in their 30s, along with two teenagers, were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour and other offences in connection with the disorder on Wednesday.

Police said officers discharged a number of Attenuating Energy Projectiles (AEPs) and the water cannon was deployed once again in an attempt to disperse and calm crowds.

Meanwhile, police said they responded to an attack on the local leisure centre in Larne.

Masked protesters blocked local roads in the Marine Highway area of Carrickfergus, a teenager was arrested in Newtownabbey following disorder in the Station Road area and in Coleraine, a bus was attacked, bins were set alight on the train tracks, and petrol bombs were thrown at police.

They added that associated protests ed without incident in the Antrim and Lisburn areas, and there were mainly peaceful protests in Belfast.

Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said there was a significant policing operation on Wednesday night.

“What we witnessed last night has caused fear and huge disruption within our communities, including to our local transport network and community services,” he said.

“Police officers came under attack from petrol bombs, fireworks and heavy masonry.

“A hatchet was also thrown at police lines during this disorder in a clear attempt to seriously injure our officers, and I thank them once again for their continued efforts putting themselves on the line keeping our streets safe.

“We made six arrests last night during this disorder, and more will follow. We are working hard to identify all those responsible in this criminal disorder, and those involved will be dealt with using the full force of the law.

“We are now in the process of gathering evidence, CCTV and other footage of yesterday’s disorder, and anyone who has information or who can help identify those responsible is asked to police on 101.

“I would strongly urge anyone who was involved in yesterday’s rioting and disorder to think long and hard about their actions and its impact. I would also appeal for calm voices and cool heads to reduce tensions.”

Earlier, Secretary of State Hilary Benn described scenes as “shocking”, adding there is “absolutely no justification for civil disorder”.

He told the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme: “This is not what Northern Ireland is about, this is not what we want the rest of the world to see.

“We all, as elected representatives, have a responsibility to seek to calm things down, to those in the community trying to keep people safe, principally the PSNI, to work with community leaders to lower tensions.

“Whatever views people hold, there is no justification for trying to burn people out of their homes, that is what is going on, and that is what needs to stop because it is shocking and damaging, and it reflects very badly of the image of Northern Ireland that we all want to send to the rest of the world.”

Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long said it has been a “three-day festival of hate and destruction” which needs to stop before someone loses their life.

She said she will be seeking additional funding for the PSNI in the June Monitoring Round.

She also commended the PSNI for seeking through a mutual aid request for additional officers from Great Britain.

“This is not just a few days of violence, this has been wanton destruction on a huge scale, and any police service in these islands who are dealing with this kind of pressure, dealing with the number of officers, now close to 50, who have been injured in the last few days, would clearly be feeling the challenge and the strain,” she told the BBC.

The leisure centre had temporarily been used as an emergency shelter for those in urgent need following disturbances in Ballymena earlier in the week.

Northern Ireland's Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, who highlighted the use of the building in a social media post, said all those who had been staying at the leisure centre are in the care of the Housing Executive and have been moved out of Larne.

SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole, the leader of the opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly, said he would refer Mr Lyons to the standards commission following the fire.

In the town on Wednesday, the PSNI deployed riot police for a third night in a row as hundreds gathered around the Clonavon Terrace area.

At least one protester was struck by plastic baton rounds fired by police, while officers also used a water cannon on the crowd.

Officers used dog units and drones in their response to the gathering.

Riot police with shields advanced on the crowd to disperse them down Bridge Street onto other roads.

They came under sustained attack as those participating in the disorder hurled petrol bombs, masonry and fireworks at police vehicles and officers standing nearby.

Rioters smashed the windows of a house on North Street and set multiple fires on streets in the surrounding area.

The disorder and stand-off with police continued past midnight.

The PSNI have also noted scenes of disorder in Belfast, Lisburn, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey earlier in the week, as businesses, homes and cars were attacked and damaged.

By Wednesday, six individuals had been arrested for public order offences, and one was charged.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he “utterly condemns” violence which left 32 police officers injured after the second night of disturbances.

PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has warned the rioting “risks undermining” the criminal justice process into an allegation of a sex attack on a teenage girl in Ballymena at the weekend.

Stormont ministers have also made an urgent appeal for calm and said the justice process had to be allowed to take its course.

Northern Ireland's First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, and Deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly, appeared together on Wednesday to voice their condemnation.

Sinn Féin vice-president Ms O’Neill told reporters in Belfast: “It’s pure racism, there is no other way to dress it up.”

Ms Little-Pengelly described the scenes in Ballymena as “unacceptable thuggery”.

With the protests focused in predominantly loyalist areas in Ballymena, Ms O’Neill said she did not believe it would be helpful for her to visit in the current context. DUP MLA Ms Little-Pengelly met residents in the town on Wednesday and said the local community are in fear and wanted the violence to stop.

“The key message here today is around that violence, and that the violence needs to stop, that’s what the community wants to put across, and that’s why I’m here to send that very clear and united message from right throughout the community and local residents for that to stop,” she said.

The violence began around Clonavon Terrace on Monday night following an earlier peaceful protest which was organised in of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area.

Two teenage boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, have been charged.