Members of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council have condemned the riots in Ballymena, demanding that the ‘thuggish behaviour and disorder’ stop immediately.
The violent riots began on Monday after a vigil over the weekend in support of a family of a teenage girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault.
Two teenage boys appeared in court on Monday charged with attempted rape – charges they reportedly will be denying. They spoke to the court through an interpreter in Romanian.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland has to date charged three people with riot, including a 15-year-old boy who has been charged with criminal damage.
A statement from the council yesterday said: ‘The thuggish behaviour and disorder that we have witnessed over the past two nights in Ballymena has brought fear and distress to so many people and blighted our local community.’
It added: ‘The small minority of people carrying out these acts of violence are destroying their own community, endangering lives and as outlined by police – are running the risk of undermining the ongoing criminal justice process being led by the PSNI.’
.png)
