Riots in Northern Ireland after attack blamed on teenage migrants

Residents of Ballymena, a town in the north of the UK, are bracing for fresh nights of unrest after an outbreak of violence linked to migration tensions. The detonating was the alleged sexual assault of a minor by two foreign teenagers, sparking a wave of attacks on immigrant homes in this small Northern Ireland town.

Outbreak after years of ignored warnings

The incident in Clonavon Terrace, where the assault on the schoolgirl was reported, sparked an immediate reaction from neighbors. Many claim that the authorities have ignored for years the tensions caused by the presence of a Roma community, which, according to residents, has not been integrated and has generated constant problems of coexistence, crime, and accumulated garbage.

"It was the last drop, and the authorities, along with the government and the courts, didn’t take it seriously enough so people had to take it into their own hands," explained Vladimir, a Slovakian worker whose house was attacked while his 11-year-old daughter slept.

Houses set on fire and street violence

On Monday night, following a vigil in support of the victim, riots escalated. Houses were set on fire, vehicles were vandalized, and police clashed with groups of hooded men armed with bricks, fireworks, and firebombs. In total, 30 officers have been injured, and five people have been arrested.

On Tuesday, the attacks spread to other areas of Ballymena, a town of just over 31,000 people. Police, overcome by the scale of the disorder, called in support from other U.K. forces. They used water cannons, trained dogs, and armored vehicles to try to contain the violence. Some immigrant families have begun to identify their homes with flags or images of the British king, hoping to avoid being attacked.