Public
disorder breaks out in Northern Ireland town Ballymena after alleged sexual
assault
Police in
Northern Ireland say a number of missiles had been thrown towards officers and
damage to properties had been reported
Jonathan
Yerushalmy
Tue 10 Jun
2025 00.55 BST
Public
disorder broke out in Ballymena in Northern Ireland, with police saying a
number of missiles had been thrown towards officers after crowds gathered near
the site of an alleged sexual assault in the town.
The unrest
follows a protest in the area, about 30 minutes’ drive from the capital city of
Belfast, earlier on Monday evening, the police statement said, adding damage
had been reported to a number of properties.
Police
advised motorists and pedestrians to avoid the Clonavon Road area and said they
would remain on the scene to monitor the situation.
“We are
urging everyone to remain calm and to act responsibly,” said
chief
superintendent Sue Steen. “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 media
reported people with their faces masked were seen throwing masonry and a police
car had two of its windows smashed.
Protesters
gathered after two boys appeared in court after an alleged serious sexual
assault in Clonavon Road, media reported.
On Sunday,
police announced that detectives investigating a serious sexual assault on a
teenage girl in the adjacent Clonavon Terrace area of Ballymena had charged two
teenage boys.
With Reuters
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