UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined Northern Ireland’s political leaders on Wednesday in condemning violence and racially motivated unrest that left police injured and multiple homes and businesses damaged.
Tensions have flared in Northern Ireland following the arrest and court appearance of two teenage boys charged in connection with a serious sexual assault on a teenage girl in Ballymena.
What do we know about the Northern Ireland unrest?
Police have not disclosed the ethnicity of the two teenage boys who remain in custody, but some of Monday’s attacks targeted areas where Romanian migrants reside.
During a court appearance on Monday, the pair of 14-year-olds charged requested a Romanian interpreter, sparking unrest in areas with large migrant populations.
The violence was centered in the town of Ballymena, about 48 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of Belfast, and other locations.
Six people were arrested following a second consecutive night of rioting on Tuesday. The unrest, which left 15 police officers injured on Monday and 17 more the next night, involved rioters hurling petrol bombs, fireworks, and bricks at homes and businesses.
Four houses were damaged by fire, and rioters also smashed windows and doors at homes and businesses.
Leaders condemn ‘racially motivated violence’ and ‘mob rule’
Ministers from all parties in Northern Ireland’s power-sharing executive condemned the violence in a joint statement on Wednesday.
“We strongly condemn the racially motivated violence witnessed in recent days and make an urgent appeal for calm across society,” the ministers said.
“There can never be any justification for the violence that has taken place in recent days,” said the leaders.
Residents had been “terrorised,” they said, as they urged people to reject the “divisive agenda being pushed by a destructive minority.”
Traditional foes such as the republican Sinn Fein and pro-UK Democratic Unionist Party joined in the statement.
Prime Minister Starmer echoed the message, denouncing the incidents.
“I utterly condemn the violence that we have seen overnight in Ballymena and in other parts of Northern Ireland,” Starmer told parliament. He added it was “absolutely vital” that police could investigate “rather than face mindless attacks as they seek to bring peace and order to keep people safe.”
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland’s Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said: “Hate-fuelled acts and mob rule do nothing but tear at the fabric of our society — they resolve nothing and serve no one.”
The violence comes amid rising political tensions over immigration in the UK and neighboring Republic of Ireland.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
