In Ballymena, Northern Ireland, racial tensions erupted into violence after a vigil for a teenage girl allegedly assaulted by two boys. The situation escalated as masked individuals took to the streets, attacking police with petrol bombs and attempting to burn homes of foreign families. Fifteen officers were injured, with some requiring hospitalization, while several houses suffered fire damage. Liam Kelly of the Police Federation highlighted the dire resource shortages in the police force, asserting that officers prevented a potential pogrom. The incident underscores rising concerns over racially motivated violence in the area.
Liam Kelly, the chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, emphasized that police officers, 'far too few,' prevented a pogrom with consequences too painful to contemplate.
During the unrest, a crowd unleashed chaos by throwing petrol bombs and heavy masonry at police while attempting to burn the homes of foreign families in Ballymena.
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