Tensions Ignite: Anti-Immigrant Violence Rocks Northern Ireland

Seventeen police officers were injured as a second night of anti-immigrant violence erupted in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. Rioters attacked with bricks, bottles, petrol bombs, and fireworks, igniting vehicles and homes. The Police Service of Northern Ireland responded using water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of people, arresting five on charges of 'riotous behaviour.'

The tumult began Monday following a peaceful march to support a sexual assault victim's family. Among the accused are two 14-year-old boys, whose court appearance was supported by a Romanian interpreter. The subsequent violence involved young people targeting police and setting fires, with 15 officers injured on the initial night.

Authorities pointed to social media as a catalyst for the 'racist thuggery,' as Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson termed it. Politicians noted immigration strains in the town, historically a hardline Loyalist area. Despite Northern Ireland's past peace efforts, tensions persist, with recent events echoing long-standing societal divides.

(With inputs from agencies.)