Northern Ireland Experiences Third Evening of Alleged Racist Attacks, Tensions Ease at Primary Hotspot | Race Issues Updates

A third consecutive night of riots has erupted in Northern Ireland, with police labeling the violence as ‘racist thuggery’ following an alleged sexual assault. In Ballymena, a leisure center hosting individuals fleeing this violence was attacked by rioters. The unrest saw masked youths throwing rocks, fireworks, and Molotov cocktails at police, a far smaller-scale but still violent confrontation compared to previous nights, where over 30 officers were injured and water cannons were deployed. Outside of Ballymena, similar violence was reported in Larne where a leisure center sheltering families fleeing the violence had its windows smashed, and fires were set. The situation has drawn criticism for identifying the location of the families’ refuge and has prompted condemnation from UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Northern Ireland’s political leaders, labeling the violence as pure racism and thuggery.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/12/n-ireland-hit-by-third-night-of-racist-violence-main-flashpoint-calmer?traffic_source=rss