Northern Ireland Unrest Injures 41 Officers, Dozens Arrested Across Multiple Towns

Northern Ireland has been rocked by three consecutive nights of violent unrest in the town of Ballymena following the arrest of teenagers accused of an attempted rape. Rioters attacked police officers with petrol bombs, fireworks, bricks, and even a hatchet, resulting in injuries to over 40 officers and significant property damage including cars and homes set alight. The violence extended to nearby Larne, where a leisure center sheltering evacuees from Ballymena was torched. Police described the disorder as racially motivated, deploying riot officers with dogs, water cannons, and plastic bullets, and have made multiple arrests related to riotous behavior. Political leaders, including Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, strongly condemned the violence, attributing it to racist thuggery and warning against those exploiting community tensions. Despite the unrest, calm was restored by early Thursday following a significant policing operation.