The Northern Irish town of Ballymena was rocked by violence for the second consecutive night on Tuesday, June 10th.
Following an earlier peaceful protest, local youths clashed with police. Five were arrested and 17 PSNI officers were injured in the overnight disorder. Petrol bombs, fireworks, and bricks were hurled at the police, who responded with baton rounds and a water cannon.
Aspects of the violence appear linked to concerns about mass immigration. Police representatives called the conflict ‘racist thuggery,’ while local homes started displaying residents’ nationalities outside, including “British household” signs.
Similar incidents on a smaller scale occurred in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus in County Antrim and north Belfast.
