London — Hundreds of masked demonstrators attacked officers during a second night of “rioting and disorder” in the Northern Ireland town of Ballymena on Tuesday, injuring 17 officers, according to police. The Northern Ireland police condemned the unrest on Wednesday, saying 32 officers had been injured in total since the disorder — reportedly an explosion of simmering racial tension — was sparked by an alleged sexual assault in the town.
“The mindless violence witnessed over the past two nights in Ballymena is deeply concerning and utterly unacceptable,” Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said in a statement. “Hate-fueled acts and mob rule do nothing but tear at the fabric of our society. They resolve nothing and serve no one.”
At least five people were arrested overnight, as four houses were damaged by fire and demonstrators smashed windows of homes and businesses, according to CBS News’ partner network BBC News.
“Police officers came under sustained attack over a number of hours with multiple petrol bombs, heavy masonry, bricks and fireworks in their direction,” the Police Service of Northern Ireland said in a statement.
The protests began just hours after two 14-year-old boys appeared in a court Monday over the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl in the town. BBC News said the boys had communicated through a Romanian interpreter.
Ballymena has a large immigrant population, according to AFP news agency.
Residents described the violence as “terrifying” and told AFP that “foreigners” were being targeted.
A Romanian resident in Ballymena told the Irish Times newspaper on Tuesday that she had put a British flag on her front window to avoid being targeted.
Northern Ireland lawmaker Paul Frew told BBC Radio that he feared the violence could turn deadly, saying tension in the town had been rising for a while, and people were “frightened about illegal immigration.”
There has been no confirmed information about the immigration status of the teenagers who appeared in court on Monday.
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