Violent demonstrations labeled as ‘anti-immigration’ escalated significantly last night when a recreation center providing immediate refuge to families was assaulted and set on fire by masked troublemakers in Northern Ireland.
Around twelve individuals with covered faces set fire to Larne Leisure Centre in County Antrim, which reportedly had welcomed Romanian immigrants and other families seeking protection from the recent wave of xenophobic attacks.
It is understood the people who had been seeking shelter there had already been moved to another emergency accommodation before the blaze broke out.
This incident coincides with an increase in online provocation, as individuals on social media platforms seem to be urging attackers to target Romanian immigrants.
This has seen scores of those who call County Antrim home face days of fear – with some families and businesses feeling they have to put notes on their doors to declare their nationality.
Signs read ‘Filipino lives here’ and some residents even added a union jack in an attempt to protect themselves from the horrors unfolding on the streets, which devastatingly continued on Wednesday night.
Chaos kicked off at the leisure centre when a crowd of about 50 people watched on as a group smashed windows, lit bins on fire and threw them inside the building’s entrance.
A dramatic blaze then erupted from the glass room, which had already been heavily shattered with bricks and other blunt force weapons.
The vandalism reportedly disrupted a yoga class which was happening inside the building, before a brick came crashing through the window, terrifying staff and visitors.
Distressing footage taken outside Larne Leisure Centre on Wednesday night shows a group of hooded thugs torching the building, which is understood to have held Romanian immigrants
An Emergency Rest Centre was opened at the leisure centre on Tuesday evening by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, in response to the riots
Fire fighters at the scene where the blaze broke out at Larne Leisure Centre following vandalism at the facility
A police officer at the scene where the fire broke out at Larne Leisure Centre on Wednesday
It came after people felt forced to put signs on their doors to protect themselves from rioters in Ballymena
Local Alliance Party MLA Danny Donnelly, who was at the centre, told the BBC that ‘staff had to barricade themselves and run out the back door’.
The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) said they rushed to the scene at 20.54pm to put out the blaze.
Two pumping appliances as well as a flexi officer attended, with 16 personnel in total.
Before their arrival, there had been desperate pleas for peaceful protests from people who watched the chaos in horror.
An Emergency Rest Centre (ERC) was opened at the leisure facility on Tuesday evening by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, following the riots in Ballymena which left a number of families in urgent need of temporary shelter.
The riots have taken place after two 14-year-old boys – who both required a Romanian interpreter in court – were charged with the attempted oral rape of a teenage girl last weekend.
A third person, aged 28, was arrested in connection to the investigation on Monday night.
A spokesperson for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said: ‘In line with normal protocols and in collaboration with local agencies, Council received a request to open an Emergency Rest Centre at Larne Leisure Centre last night, to provide emergency shelter for families in urgent need following disturbances in Ballymena.
‘The families have all been safely relocated and are no longer availing of the facility.’
PSNI officers also returned to the streets of Ballymena for the third night in a row as up to 400 thugs gathered to hurl fireworks, petrol bombs and missiles at police vehicles – two days after a peaceful vigil of 2,500 people descended into mayhem.
Several fires erupted in the town last night and were lit dangerously close to residential homes, spreading from wheelie bins and piles of rubbish.
Around 400 people gathered together to face a barrier of armoured police cars lined up to stop the group accessing residential houses.
Fire burns near a demonstrator as riots continue in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, on Wednesday night
A person throws harmful objects at riot police vehicles in Ballymena last night
PSNI riot squad officers form a blockade on Harryville bridge in Ballymena to stop potential rioters from accessing the Clonavon terrace area
Fireworks thrown at riot police illluminate the road during a third night of demonstrations in Ballymena
Fireworks and flares were aimed at officers, while glass bottles and rocks were lobbed at PSNI lines by male and female rioters who cheered as they hit police vehicles.
Petrol bombs were also hurled at armoured Land Rovers, igniting a sudden fire and shouts of encouragement from the crowd.
A water cannon was on site in response to last night’s fires while police set off one AEP baton round.
Five people were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour on Wednesday, while a male was also arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct in Newtownabbey.
A horrifying TikTok video showed the moment rioters livestreamed themselves burning down a house in Ballymena.
Footage shared on social media showed thugs giggling as they torched a residential home after smashing the windows and breaking in.
The person behind the camera told viewers to ‘rack them gifts up, boys, rack them up’ as he begged for likes and follows in front of the burning building.
At one point, as flames licked the front window of the family home, he gloated ‘I’ve got 2.6k views lad’, The Telegraph first reported.
Tuesday night saw the worst scenes of mass wanton destruction yet that left more police officers injured, with cars set alight and properties smashed up.
One of his Senior Team, Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson, said earlier that the PSNI have redirected a significant number of extra officers into areas affected by two days of violent disorder, the worst of which took place in Ballymena.
ACC Henderson labelled the violence over the first two nights as ‘racist thuggery targeted at ethnic minorities and police officers’. He added that all footage of incidents was being reviewed and prosecutions would come.
A man looks towards members of the PSNI riot squad stood next to their vehicles
Police aim a water cannon at demonstrators as riots continue in Ballymena
Police clash with residents during a third evening of unrest in Ballymena, Northern Ireland
A masked protestor throws an item at Riot Police during a third night of demonstrations in Northern Ireland
A young female youth throws item at police vehicles on the third day of unrest in Ballymena
A view of the damage after protesters threw petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks at police during another night of disorder in Ballymena
Police are calling the riots ‘racist thuggery’ as riot officers clash with protesters
A demonstrator sits down opposite a row of riot police vehicles in Ballymena
A member of the crowd gestures towards the PSNI riot squad officers in Ballymena
A view of the damage after protesters threw petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks at police during another night of disorder in Ballymena
A man sits with a drink opposite riot police vehicles on the third night of unrest in Ballymena
Protesters try to throw items at the police who use water canons to clear them in Ballymena
Meanwhile, Police Scotland has agreed to a request to send officers, after police in Northern Ireland requested extra support under mutual aid arrangements.
The deployment will involve an undisclosed number of public order officers trained to police civil unrest. The PSNI said they have requested 80 officers from other forces in mainland UK.
ACC Henderson revealed: ‘We’re taking steps to increase available resources and are surging a significant number of extra officers, vehicles and equipment to those areas where the rioting is taking place.
‘This will have an impact on our communities. This will take away vital resources needed to police other areas. It will have an impact on our ability to serve communities.
‘It’s hugely important that people realise there are consequences for this.’
ACC Henderson said many people woke up this morning ‘feeling genuine fear for their lives and their livelihoods’.
He added: ‘This violence only serves to undermine the criminal investigation and cause further distress and turmoil to a young victim and her family.
‘This violence threatens to derail the very pursuit of justice it claims to challenge.’
Police said there have also been sporadic incidents of disorder in Carrickfergus, north Belfast and Newtownabbey, where one man was arrested.
More demonstrations have been organised across Northern Ireland last night with fears they will bring with it the potential for more trouble breaking out.
One man, 29, has been charged with riotous behaviour, disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police after Monday’s violence.
The worst of the trouble has been taking place in Ballymena, mainly in the Clonavon Terrace area but also in nearby thoroughfares Larne Street and Queen Stree. Police officers came under sustained attack over a number of hours with multiple petrol bombs, heavy masonry, bottles and fireworks lobbed in their direction.
A member of the crowd gestures towards the PSNI riot squad officers
A member of the crowd throws an object towards the PSNI riot squad officers
Violence broke out in Ballymena on Monday following a peaceful protest by the local community against an alleged sex attack
Residents look on as PSNI riot squad officers form a blockade on Harryville bridge to stop potential rioters from accessing the Clonavon terrace area
A masked protestor falls after being hit by the Police water cannon, used in an attempt to disperse protestors
Coloured smoke billows as demonstrators gather in front of riot police vehicles in Ballymena
Riot police block a road in Ballymena during a third night of violence in the area
A resident walks past PSNI riot squad officers and a dog handler as police form a blockade in Ballymena
PSNI riot squad officers form a blockade on Harryville bridge in Ballymena last night to stop potential rioters from accessing the Clonavon terrace area
Protesters try to throw items at the police who use water canons to clear them in Ballymena
A member of the crowd runs away while being sprayed with water from a cannon by the PSNI riot squad
Crowds gathered in Ballymena again last night, with as many as 400 people standing together
ACC Henderson said: ‘There were people who were intent on violence right from the off, so that says to me that there was pre-planning involved from those who wanted to attack us.
‘A number of other protests, attacks on homes and disorder took place in Belfast, Lisburn, Coleraine, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey.’
Authorised officers discharged a number of Attenuating Energy Projectiles (AEPs) – a police source told MailOnline it was at least 20 – and two water cannons were also deployed in an attempt to disperse the crowds.
Some homes in the trouble-torn epicentre of the Harryville estate have begun displaying stickers outlining the residents’ nationalities such as ‘Filipino lives here’ alongside Union Jack stickers and flags.
Businesses and houses were attacked and damaged and a number of vehicles were also set on fire in the area. Even some homes with Union Jack flags on display fell victim to broken windows leaving local residents caught in the crossfire as a baying mob targeted properties were they believed non-nationals and migrants were living.
At a press conference earlier, police said it was ‘not clear’ if paramilitaries are coordinating rioting in Ballymena. The Harryville estate would be considered a loyalist area.
ACC Henderson added: ‘At this point it’s not clear to us or through intelligence or what we’re hearing if there’s paramilitary coordination to it.’
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn is planning to visit Ballymena, it has been announced.
Lady Anderson, speaking in the House of Lords yesterday, said the Cabinet minister was having ‘active conversations’ with both the Stormont administration and the PSNI.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he ‘utterly condemns’ the violence and called them ‘mindless attacks’.
Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill said what was happening in Ballymena was ‘pure racism, there’s no other way to dress it up’, while the Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said the violence was ‘serving no purpose whatsoever’ and was only damaging communities.
