LONDON: A fourth night of anti-immigrant unrest in Northern Ireland left another 22 officers injured, police said on Friday, as violent protests spread to a second town.

Firing plastic bullets, police sought to drive back several hundred people who had gathered in the town of Portadown — some 80 kilometres (50 miles) southeast of Ballymena, where an alleged sexual assault that sparked the violence took place.

“Last night in Portadown police came under sustained attack from rioters throwing masonry and other missiles,” said Ryan Henderson, Assistant Chief Constable with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

“Twenty-two officers were injured and I am so grateful to them for their bravery and selfless dedication in protecting the community of Portadown from this criminality,” he added.

Three nights of unrest had already hit Ballymena, some 48km northwest of Belfast, leaving a trail of damage, with 63 police officers now injured and 15 people arrested.

Foreign nationals mull exodus to protect their families

Two more people, a woman in her 50s and a man in his 30s, were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour and other offences in connection with Thursday’s disorder.

The clashes first erupted on Monday night after two teenagers were arrested for the alleged attempted rape of a young girl at the weekend. Police have not confirmed the ethnicity of the teenagers, who remain in custody and had asked for a Romanian interpreter in court.

Migrants mull future

Days of riots in Northern Ireland have left migrants from other countries mulling their future, with some considering fleeing the UK province to protect their families.

“Why do they attack us? What did we do?” asked Maria, whose name has been changed to protect her identity. “I don’t want to run, cause I did nothing bad,” the 38-year-old sales assistant from Romania told AFP standing on her doorstep, her face taut with fear. “When I go in the street people are looking at us very bad... they blame me... When they say go home, I say, home is here for me.”

Police and politicians have hit back against what has been dubbed “racist thuggery” and denounced violence against a community which they said has always been very well integrated.

The communities who have been targeted “are not criminals. They contribute positively to society here,” said Northern Ireland police chief Jon Boutcher. “They are valued members of society.”

Political commentator Alex Kane said there were wider forces at play. “The original demonstration in Ballymena... was intended to demonstrate solidarity with and sympathy for a girl,” said Kane, a former director of communications for the Ulster Unionist Party.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2025