Summary Riots follow protest over alleged sexual assault

Riot police respond with water cannon, 17 officers hurt

Police investigating property attacks as racially-motivated

BALLYMENA, Northern Ireland, June 11 (Reuters) – Hundreds of masked rioters attacked police and set homes and cars on fire in the Northern Irish town of Ballymena on Tuesday, in the second successive night of disorder that followed a protest over an alleged sexual assault in the town.

Seventeen officers were injured, bringing to 32 the number hurt since the violence began on Monday following a large protest over an alleged sexual assault in the town.

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Two 14-year-old boys appeared in court that day, accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl. The charges were read to the teenagers via a Romanian interpreter, the BBC reported. A lawyer told the court that the two teenagers denied the charge. They were remanded in custody until July 2.

Police are investigating attacks on properties on Monday that saw four houses damaged by fire as racially-motivated “hate crimes”.

“The mindless violence witnessed over the past two nights in Ballymena is deeply concerning and utterly unacceptable,” Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Hate-fuelled acts and mob rule do nothing but tear at the fabric of our society… This behaviour must stop.”

One Romanian resident told the Irish Times on Tuesday that she was putting a British flag on her front window in a bid to prevent being targeted. Another door had a British and Filipino flag with a message saying “Filipino lives here”, a photograph in The Belfast Telegraph showed.

Five people were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour in Ballymena, located 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the capital Belfast, following one arrest there on Monday, police said on Wednesday.

Item 1 of 14 People walk near a damaged building, following riots in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne [1/14] People walk near a damaged building, following riots in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab

HOUSE BURNED OUT

Police in Northern Ireland sporadically come under attack whenever tensions rise in parts of the British region, 27 years after a peace deal ended three decades of sectarian bloodshed there.

Officers in riot gear and driving armoured vans responded on Tuesday with water cannon and non-lethal rounds, known as attenuated energy projectiles, after being attacked by petrol bombs, scaffolding and rocks that rioters gathered by knocking down nearby walls, a Reuters witness said.

One house was burned out and a police officer vomited after leaving another in a different part of the town that rioters had attempted to set alight, the witness added.

A number of cars were set on fire and one lay upside down in flames as police sirens blared throughout the town past midnight.

Separate protests on Tuesday blocked off some roads in Belfast, another Reuters witness said.

Bins were set alight and bottles and masonry thrown at police following protests in the towns of Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus, police said. Police also reported some incidents in north Belfast.

The British government and local politicians condemned the violence.

“The terrible scenes of civil disorder we have witnessed in Ballymena again this evening have no place in Northern Ireland,” Britain’s Northern Ireland Minister Hilary Benn said on X.

Additional reporting by Amanda Ferguson in Belfast; Writing by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar and Alex Richardson

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Hundreds of masked rioters attacked police and set homes and cars on fire in the Northern Irish town of Ballymena on Tuesday, in the second successive night of disorder that followed a protest over an alleged sexual assault in the town.

Police in Northern Ireland sporadically come under attack when tensions rise in parts of the British region, 27 years after a peace deal ended three decades of sectarian bloodshed there.

Calm was restored to Ballymena, located 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the capital Belfast, at around 0100 local time (0000 GMT), police said.

Officers in riot gear and driving armoured vans responded earlier with water cannon and non-lethal rounds, known as attenuated energy projectiles, after being attacked by petrol bombs, scaffolding and rocks that rioters gathered by knocking down nearby walls, a Reuters witness said.

One house was burned out and a police officer vomited after leaving another in a different part of the town that rioters had attempted to set alight, the witness added.

A number of cars were set on fire and one lay upside down in flames as police sirens blared throughout the town past midnight.

The first night of rioting on Monday saw four houses damaged by fire, and doors and windows smashed in other homes and businesses, in what police said was being investigated as racially motivated hate attacks. Fifteen officers were injured.

Hundreds of protesters had gathered in Ballymena earlier on Monday after two teenage boys appeared in court that day, accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in the County Antrim town.

Local media reported that the charges were read to the teenagers via an interpreter.

Separate protests on Tuesday blocked off some roads in Belfast, another Reuters witness said. Police said they also dealt with sporadic disorder in the towns of Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus, as well as some incidents in north Belfast.

The British government and local politicians condemned the violence.

“The terrible scenes of civil disorder we have witnessed in Ballymena again this evening have no place in Northern Ireland,” Britain’s Northern Ireland Minister Hilary Benn said on X.

CNN —

A shooter opened fire at a high school in the Austrian city of Graz on Tuesday, killing 10 people, mostly teenagers, in one of the worst rampages in the country’s history.

Austrian police and hospital officials confirmed the fatalities, raising the death toll from an earlier figure of nine. Of the 10 victims, nine were students aged between 15 and 17. The tenth victim was a female teacher, Graz police spokesperson Sabri Yorgun told CNN.

Interior minister Gerhard Karner said at a news conference that six victims were female and three were male. Twelve students were injured in the incident, some of them seriously, Karner added. Graz University Hospital later said one of the seriously injured adults died on Tuesday evening.

The suspect – a 21-year-old Austrian male who had previously attended the school but not graduated – used two weapons, a shotgun and a pistol, to carry out the killing spree, before fatally shooting himself in a bathroom, authorities said at the news conference.

Officials would not give a motive for the gunman, who they say acted alone. Police believe he obtained the weapons he used legally. The weapons were seized at the scene and are subject to forensic examinations. Officers are also continuing to conduct interviews as they investigate the circumstances of the incident, police added.

In an update on Wednesday, police said that after searching the suspect’s home, they found a suicide note as well as a non-functional pipe bomb.

“We were able to start the investigation immediately after the killing spree. In the meantime, we have also carried out a house search at the home address of the 21-year-old suspect from the district of Graz and the surrounding area and have been able to establish that there was a suicide note both in digital form via video message and in handwritten form,” police spokesperson Yorgun told CNN.

“We were also able to find and secure a pipe bomb – albeit a non-functioning pipe bomb – at his home.”

The shooting pitched Austria into a state of shock and disbelief. Chancellor Christian Stocker announced three days of national mourning, writing on X: “There are no words for the pain and grief.”

Police officers in a street close to the school on June 10. Erwin Scheriau/APA/AFP/Getty Images

A police helicopter in the air close to where the incident took place. Erwin Scheriau/APA/AFP/Getty Images

Officers first responded to the reports of “several” suspected gunshots at the Bundesoberstufenrealgymnasium Dreierschützengasse school in the northwest of Graz at around 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET).

Several vehicles and a police helicopter were deployed to the site. The school was evacuated and the area was secured, with no further danger expected, the police said on social media. Police said later in a statement that special forces were also deployed to the scene.

Stocker expressed horror at the shooting, saying: “The rampage at a school in Graz is a national tragedy that has deeply shaken our entire country. This inconceivable act suddenly tore young people from the life they still had ahead of them.”

One of the victims was a 17-year-old French high school student, according to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who said, “Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family and friends.”

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said: “It is difficult to bear when schools become places of death and violence.”

Several vigils for the victims took place Tuesday evening in Graz, including one coordinated by local youth organizations. Hundreds gathered in Graz’s central square, but despite the large crowd of mourners, the Hauptplatz was nearly silent.

“I keep thinking about the image of the families, friends and relatives who will never find an answer or explanation – and that’s just tragic,” Graz Mayor Elke Kahr told CNN on Tuesday night.

“There are 350 children at the school. And one cannot fathom they had to wait for so long… the parents who didn’t know whether their child was still alive or not. That’s just awful.”

“I am very upset that we now have situations in Austria that are so violent, so aggressive,” Eva Buchhalter-heuss, a Graz resident told Reuters after attending a memorial service at St. Vinzenz Church.

“It was terrible for me because I also have five children and one of my daughters also went to this school,” Doriz Prato, another Graz resident, told Reuters. “I can’t even imagine what these parents are going through now.”

On Wednesday morning, at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. Eastern) a national minute of silence was observed, timed 24 hours after police received the first calls about shots being fired.

Gun violence is rare in Austria, along with most central European countries. The country’s rate of firearm homicides was just 0.1 per 100,000 people in 2021, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, compared to 4.5 per 100,000 people in the United States.

But Austria’s gun ownership is higher than most European Union countries; there are 30 civilian firearms owned for every 100 citizens, according to the Small Arms Survey, a research institute based in Switzerland.

A small number of high-profile violent incidents have taken place there in recent years. Last October, the mayor of a northern Austrian town was shot dead, along with another victim.

In February, a 23-year-old man stabbed five passersby in southern Austria in what police said was a random attack.

This story has been updated with additional developments. CNN’s Fred Pleitgen, Lauren Kent and Saskya Vandoorne contributed to this report.

Two 14-year-olds were charged with attempted oral rape of a teenage girl

A 28-year-old man was arrested on Monday in relation to the alleged assault

This is the shocking moment a protester on the streets of Ballymena was set alight as chaos continued to rip through Northern Ireland for a second night in a row.

Footage showed one protestor up in flames as rioters hurled petrol bombs, fireworks and masonry at police officers – who condemned the ‘racist thuggery’ of rioters.

Seventeen police officers were injured during the violence, while other protests also took place Belfast, Lisburn, Coleraine, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey last night.

Cars and properties were also set on fire in Ballymena after violence first erupted on Monday following a peaceful vigil of 2,500 people that descended into mayhem.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) deployed riot police, fired plastic baton rounds, and used water cannons as well as dog units as they fought to restore order.

It comes 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 on June 7.

A third arrest was made in relation to the alleged sexual assault on Monday night as a 28-year-old man was taken in for questioning and then released.

Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said other arrests are expected following the examination of video footage and said the PSNI was actively working to identify those responsible for the ‘racially motivated’ disorder.

Mr Henderson added there will be a significant policing operation in the town in the coming days to reassure the community.

This is the shocking moment one protestor went up in flames as rioters hurled petrol bombs, fireworks and masonry at police officers

A vehicle burns as PSNI riot squad officers battled protesters throwing projectiles

The PSNI deployed riot police, fired plastic baton rounds, and used water cannons as well as dog units as they desperately fought to bring the crowds to order

Protesters throw objects during unrest as chaos continued to rip through Northern Ireland for a second night in a row

A man looks through a broken window close to a burnt-out overturned car on the street in Ballymena today

An abandoned house on Queen Street today after a second night of violence in Ballymena

Police officers from England and Wales will be brought to Northern Ireland if needed to help the PSNI, the senior police officer added.

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

In a joint statement, ministers from across the powersharing Executive, which includes Sinn Fein, DUP, Alliance Party and UUP, said those involved in disorder have nothing to offer society but ‘division and disorder’.

The PSNI said calm had been restored in the Clonavon Terrace, North Road and Bridge Street areas by around 1am on Wednesday.

Officers in the Clonavon Terrace area came under ‘sustained attack over a number of hours with multiple petrol bombs, heavy masonry, bricks and fireworks in their direction’.

A spokesperson said earlier in the evening that a number of protests took place in areas of Belfast, Lisburn, Coleraine and Newtownabbey.

In Carrickfergus two bins were set alight and bottles and masonry thrown at police in the Sunnylands area by a group of 20 to 30 young people at around 8.30pm.

In Newtownabbey bins were set alight at the roundabout on O’Neill Road.

During the course of the disorder in Ballymena, officers discharged a number of plastic baton rounds and the water cannon was also deployed in an attempt to disperse the crowds.

The spokesperson said: ‘Businesses and homes were attacked and damaged and a number of vehicles were also set on fire in the area. Seventeen officers were injured with some requiring required hospital treatment.

A fire rages as PSNI riot squad officers battled protesters who threw projectiles and set vehicles on fire

A vehicle burns on the street of Ballymena as violence continued for the second night in a row

Officers line up in front of a burning vehicle during a second night of riots in Ballymena

A vehicle burns during a second night of riots in Ballymena

A burnt-out car on the street this morning following a second night of violence in Ballymena

A burnt-out and boarded up property in Ballymena today after being damaged on Monday

A burnt-out house on Queen Street today after a second night of violence in Ballymena

‘Five people were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour and remain in police custody this morning. A male was also arrested on suspicion of disorderly behaviour on the O’Neill Road in Newtownabbey.

‘A number of nearby roads were closed by police to ensure the safety of the public and local residents, and to enable officers to deal with the situation and disorder safely. All roads were subsequently reopened.’

Fifteen officers had been injured during similar scenes in Ballymena on Monday.

PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said scenes of violence in Ballymena ‘risk undermining the ongoing criminal justice process led by the PSNI in support of a victim who deserves truth, justice, and protection’.

He added: ‘The mindless violence witnessed over the past two nights in Ballymena is deeply concerning and utterly unacceptable.

‘These criminal acts not only endanger lives but also risk undermining the ongoing criminal justice process led by the PSNI in support of a victim who deserves truth, justice, and protection. Ironically, and frustratingly, this violence threatens to derail the very pursuit of justice it claims to challenge.

‘Let me be clear: this behaviour must stop. I appeal to everyone involved to cease all further acts of criminality and disorder immediately. As with any serious offenders in Northern Ireland, we will pursue those responsible and bring them to justice.

‘We will now begin our investigation of reviewing all evidence gathered, including video footage, and images of the individuals involved will be released to identify offenders. Do not throw away your future and do not continue to endanger or intimidate the lives of others.’

Violent disorder erupted on Monday night around Clonavon Terrace in the town, following an earlier peaceful protest in the day which was organised in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area.

A crowd of 300 yobs hurled petrol bombs at cops, smashed windows and torched cars throughout the Harryville area – the day after the peaceful vigil turned violent.

The PSNI confirmed a number of homes and businesses were attacked as the mob rampaged across the town, while disorder also sparked in Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus and north Belfast.

As horror spread across Ballymena last night masked thugs threw bottles, wood, rocks, metal bars, wheelie bins, and even a child’s bike.

In shocking scenes fireworks were aimed at police lines, receiving a large cheer from the crowd of protesters.

A burnt-out overturned car on the street today after a second night of violence in Ballymena

A boarded-up window on a property damaged in Ballymena today after a second night of violence

Protesters throw projectiles and start fires as unrest continues on June 10

Protestors walk past a fire set in a street of Ballymena, Northern Ireland as riots raged through the town

A water cannon is used as police officers stand guard during a second night of riots in Ballymena

A thug wearing a balaclava hurls something at lines of police officers as cops came under attack for a second night

Protesters throw projectiles and start fires as unrest continues on June 10 in Ballymena

Police officers stand guard during the second night of riot as smoke belches into the sky

Firefighters get into a house where the windows have been smashed after demonstrators tried to enter

Riot police clash with masked yobs in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, on Tuesday night during a protest over an alleged sexual assault

Litter and debris were seen strewn across the roads and pavements, while smashed glass covered the town’s streets.

Families in the area told reporters they were fleeing their homes while some residents marked their doors with their nationality in an apparent bid to avoid attack.

Vehicles parked on the road were smashed up with hammers, while rioters bust their tyres and tipped them upside down.

Officers from the PSNI ran through the town accompanied by police dogs, dodging flying objects and debris from the blazes.

Armoured Land Rovers tried to protect homes while police detained individuals and forced hundreds of people away from properties.

Officers used a loudspeaker to make a repeat warning to ‘disperse as force is about to be used against violent individuals’.

Baton rounds – a less lethal alternative to traditional bullets – were fired on protesters, the PSNI later revealed.

In a statement early this morning, when the rioting had finally been quelled at 1am, the force said: ‘Calm has been restored in Ballymena following serious disorder in the Clonavon Terrace, North Road and Bridge Street areas last night.

‘Disorder broke out shortly before 8pm and continued for several hours with masonry and petrol bombs thrown at police officers and police vehicles. A number of homes and businesses were also attacked.

Riot police wearing armour and carrying shields chase down a protestor in Ballymena

A car is set on fire and tipped upside down in Ballymena on Tuesday night amid the chaos

A huge fire erupts in the middle of the street surrounded by protesters in Northern Ireland on Tuesday

People’s cars were set on fire throughout the town and their windows smashed in

Police dogs attend the scene to assist officers and attempt to control the chaos

A masked thug throws a wheelie bin into the fire during the second evening of riots in the town

Police officers stands in front of a house after demonstrators vandalised it during the second night of mayhem

Officers stand guard behind police vehicles as flames rise during the second evening of riots

Wheelie bins are set on fire during the riot in Ballymena on Tuesday which spiralled out of control

Police officers stand guard as they clash with masked yobs during day two of demonstrations

Officers line up as the riots continue to erupt into complete chaos for the second night in a row

A police officer falls to the ground during Tuesday’s riots in Northern Ireland

People run among the flames in Ballymena on Tuesday during the second evening of chaos

Multiple fires have cropped up around the town, with street objects set alight

‘During the disorder, authorised officers discharged a number of Attenuating Energy Projectiles (AEPs) and the water cannon was also deployed in an attempt to disperse the crowds. Calm was restored to the area at around 1am.

‘Police also dealt with sporadic disorder in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus with some incidents in north Belfast.’

Flames roared dangerously close to residential properties as thick plumes of smoke filled the air.

Houses were seen with their windows smashed in and doors vandalised with holes kicked through them.

Properties had windows smashed as some residents chose to display signs about the nationalities of those normally resident, including one saying ‘British household’ and another with ‘Filipino lives here’.

A water cannon was deployed by PSNI on the crowds, as a huge blaze came from the end of a row of terraced homes and among traffic lights in the town centre.

The Northern Ireland Secretary said there is ‘no justification’ for attacks on police officers or vandalism in Ballymena.

In a social media post, Hilary Benn said: ‘The terrible scenes of civil disorder we have witnessed in Ballymena again this evening have no place in Northern Ireland.

‘There is absolutely no justification for attacks on PSNI officers or for vandalism directed at people’s homes or property.’

The scenes of violence in Ballymena on Monday saw 15 police injured and four homes set alight.

A Romanian mother-of-three who lives in one of the houses attacked during the violence said she has been left too scared to stay in the area.

She said her children were asking why their house was being attacked during disturbances in the town on Monday night.

Masked yobs face riot police on the street in the town centre, which has been set on fire

A person walks among the fire created during the demonstration over an alleged sexual assault

Riot police run through the town with their armour as they try to control the crowd

A man appears to run from riot police next to a stack of fallen shopping trolleys

Police vehicles are parked in a line forming a wall, seemingly to stop crowds getting through

Firefighters check houses in Ballymena as the evening of chaos continues in Northern Ireland

People walk as flames rise during the protest in Northern Ireland on Tuesday evening

Officers use a water cannon near Clonavon Terrace, Ballymena, as people take part in day two of the protests

Police gather to face protestors next to a fire set in the streets during the riot on Tuesday evening

People walk past a fire set in a street of Ballymena, which has wooden poles coming out of it

Armed police in riot gear stand guard during a second night of riots in Ballymena

Police officers line up with their armour to protect them from the out of control crowds

A police officer stands in front of a house after demonstrators vandalised it during the second night of riots

A firefighter holds a flashlight while opening a window of a house that protesters vandalised on day two of the riots

Rioters stand among the flames created during the evening’s violent demonstration

Demonstrators dressed in dark, hooded clothes face an armoured police vehicle

Several properties were damaged on Clonavon Terrace, while a number of residents said on Tuesday that they now intend to leave the area.

The woman from Romania, who said she was too afraid to give her name, claimed she tried to flee her house after the front window was broken.

‘The children were asking me why are we being attacked,’ she said.

‘I don’t want to stay here now, the children are afraid and I am afraid.’

A Romanian man said he had lived in the area for 15 years. ‘We don’t even know why this happened to us,’ he said.

‘The riots started last night. We didn’t expect it to come to our house.

‘We tried to get out of the house and go to a safe place.

‘I have lived here 15 years. Everything else has been nice, everything has been OK.

‘I have so many friends in Ballymena, I have got so much support.

‘Everyone was texting and asking us if we are OK, if we are safe, if they can do anything for us.’

He added: ‘I am lucky because the damage here is not too bad, but my sister has three kids, I have a little girl.

‘We are going to live in a friend’s house for a while and then try to move out of here.’

He said: ‘I like to believe I am a Ballymena man now, I have been living here half of my life.

‘I understand if people want to protest but it did not have to be like this.

‘We should not have to pay the price.’

A water cannon has also been deployed by PSNI on the crowds in Ballymena, as a huge blaze and plumes of smoke came from the end of a row of terraced houses

Riot police vans at Clonavon Terrace as people take part in a protest over an alleged sexual assault in the Co Antrim town

People take part in a second night of riots in Ballymena, Northern Ireland

Fireworks are set off near emergency vehicles during Tuesday’s demonstration in Northern Ireland

Police vehicles are seen on fire at Tuesday’s out of control protest in Northern Ireland

Armed police officers attend the scene in a bid to control day two of the riots in Ballymena

Litter and debris can be seen strewn across the roads and pavements while smashed glass covers the town’s streets

A street is set on fire surrounded by people as Tuesday’s demonstration erupts into chaos

Troubles flair during the demonstration in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, on Tuesday

A water cannon has been deployed by PSNI on the crowds in Ballymena on Tuesday evening

A wall of riot police and armoured Land Rovers try to protect homes and force the crowd up the road

Police have appealed for calm after serious disorder broke out again on Tuesday evening

Huge flames and clouds of smoke come from the end of a row of houses during Tuesday’s riots

Police vans at Clonavon Terrace as people take part in a protest again on Tuesday evening

Disorder has exploded onto the streets again on Tuesday in Northern Ireland

Fireworks were allegedly fired at police lines, an action which received a large cheer from the crowd of protesters

A water cannon has also been deployed by PSNI on the crowds in Ballymena, as a huge blaze and plumes of smoke came from the end of a row of terraced houses

Chaos breaks out again in Ballymena on Tuesday for a second evening in a row

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the force had a significant operation in place over the coming days in case there was any repeat of the disturbances on Monday night in the town.

He said: ‘We are actively working to identify those responsible for last night’s racially motivated disorder in Ballymena and bring them to justice.

‘Anyone who has information or who can help identify those responsible is asked to contact police on 101.’

A 29-year-old man was charged with riotous behaviour after being arrested during disorder in Ballymena on Monday night.

The man, who is due to appear before Ballymena Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, July 3, has also been charged with disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police.

Mr Henderson said other arrests are expected following the examination of video footage.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman described the events which saw police and ethnic minorities targeted as ‘very concerning’.

A spokesman for the PM said: ‘The disorder we saw in Ballymena is very concerning.

‘Obviously, the reports of sexual assault in the area are extremely distressing, but there is no justification for attacks on police officers while they continue to protect local communities.

‘PSNI and the justice system must be allowed to carry out their jobs and our thoughts are with the victims of the assault as well as the police officers who were injured.’

By Clodagh Kilcoyne, Reuters

Photo: PAUL FAITH / AFP

Riots follow protest over alleged sexual assault

Riot police in armoured vans respond with water cannon

British government, local politicians condemn violence

Hundreds of masked rioters attacked police and set homes and cars on fire in the Northern Irish town of Ballymena on Tuesday in the second successive night of disorder that followed a protest over an alleged sexual assault in the town.

Police said they were dealing with “serious disorder” in the town, which is about 45km from the capital Belfast, and urged people to avoid the area.

Officers in riot gear and driving armoured vans responded with water cannon and plastic baton rounds after being attacked by petrol bombs, scaffolding and rocks that rioters gathered by knocking down nearby walls, a Reuters witness said.

One house was burned out and a police officer vomited after leaving another in a different part of the town that rioters had attempted to set alight, the witness added.

A number of cars were set on fire and one lay upside down in flames as police sirens blared throughout the town past midnight.

Four houses were damaged by fire and windows and doors were smashed in other homes and businesses in the first night of rioting on Monday, in what police said they are investigating as racially motivated hate attacks.

Hundreds of protesters had gathered in Ballymena earlier on Monday in response to a case involving two teenage boys who appeared in court that day, accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in the County Antrim town.

Local media reported that the charges were read to the teenagers via an interpreter.

Fifteen police officers were injured on Monday, with some requiring hospital treatment.

Separate protests on Tuesday had earlier blocked off some roads in Belfast, another Reuters witness said, but no unrest was reported in other parts of the British-run region.

The British government and local politicians condemned the violence.

“The terrible scenes of civil disorder we have witnessed in Ballymena again this evening have no place in Northern Ireland,” Britain’s Northern Ireland Minister Hilary Been said on X.

– Reuters