💨 Abstract

Two nights of rioting in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, have left over 30 police officers injured and several homes and businesses damaged. The violence began after a peaceful protest in support of a girl allegedly sexually assaulted by two Romanian boys. The riots involved petrol bombs, bricks, and fireworks being thrown at police, with some incidents treated as racially-motivated hate crimes. Local tensions over immigration are believed to have contributed to the unrest.

Courtesy: Katie Boyden