Overview

• Police said more than 30 officers were injured over two nights after rioters hurled incendiary bombs, an axe and bricks in Ballymena.
• A Larne leisure centre that housed families displaced by the violence was torched, though no residents were inside at the time.
• The disturbances followed allegations that two 14-year-olds attempted to rape a girl, charges the youths have denied in court.
• Authorities have confirmed the unrest was racially motivated, raising concerns of deepening communal divisions.
• Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Co-First Minister Michelle O’Neill both condemned the violence, recalling similar post-Southport incidents in 2024.