Chaos gripped the streets of Ballymena, Northern Ireland, on Monday evening, as a large protest sparked by a recent alleged sexual assault escalated into violent disorder. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has urged the public to avoid the Clonavon Road area and appealed for calm after rioting broke out, with missiles, including petrol bombs, thrown at officers and significant damage reported to properties.
The protest, which drew an estimated crowd of around 2,500 people, was organized in response to the alleged attempted rape of a teenage girl in the Clonavon Terrace area on Saturday, June 7. Two 14-year-old boys, charged with attempted rape, appeared in Coleraine Magistrates’ Court earlier on Monday, where they denied the charges through a Romanian interpreter. The incident fueled community outrage, with hundreds gathering in the Harryville area near the site of the alleged assault to show support for the victim’s family.
What began as a peaceful march along Larne Street and Queen Street turned volatile as the evening progressed. Protesters, some with faces covered, assembled near Clonavon Terrace, close to Ballymena’s main police station. Tensions escalated when a section of the crowd began throwing missiles, including bottles and petrol bombs, at police officers. Social media footage captured masked youths smashing windows, kicking in doors, and setting fire to at least two properties, with flames spreading to neighboring homes. A makeshift barricade was also set alight in the street, later extinguished by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS).
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The PSNI deployed riot officers, police dogs, and Land Rovers to block off Clonavon Terrace and prevent further escalation. Officers armed with baton round launchers were seen attempting to control the crowds, while a drone monitored the situation from above. Chief Superintendent Sue Steen issued a statement urging calm: “We are urging everyone to remain calm and to act responsibly. Violence and disorder will only place people at greater risk. Our priority is to keep the community safe, and I would appeal to everyone to work with us to bring calm to the area as quickly as possible.”
Local reports indicate that the unrest continued sporadically into the early hours of Tuesday, June 10, with a heavy police presence expected to remain in the town center. Firefighters, some in breathing apparatus, worked to extinguish blazes at the affected properties, amid fears that residents could be trapped inside. An overturned boat was also reported in the street, alongside damage to police vehicles, including a patrol car with smashed windows.
The unrest has drawn comparisons to historical tensions in Ballymena, a town with a complex sectarian past. While the PSNI has not officially labeled the protest as anti-immigration, reports suggest that some demonstrators targeted properties believed to belong to immigrants, exacerbating community divisions. The incident follows a similar protest in August 2024, which saw a smaller turnout and no significant disorder.
Local authorities and community leaders are now calling for dialogue to address underlying tensions and prevent further violence. Motorists and pedestrians have been advised to avoid the Clonavon Road area until further notice as the PSNI continues to monitor the situation.
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