‘In 14 years, never anything like this’: Ballymena’s foreigners describe fear after rioting
Guardian2 days
Northern Ireland Riots Continue for Fourth Night
Above: PSNI officers in riot gear respond to civil unrest on June 11, 2025 in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. Image copyright: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
The riots in Northern Ireland are a disgrace. No frustration justifies turning on your neighbors, terrorizing innocent families, or reviving the darkest days of a nation's past. Violence won’t fix broken systems, it will only deepen division. Immigrants aren't the enemy, and Northern Ireland deserves better than this shameful return to sectarian, racist intimidation.
Right narrative
The riots in Ballymena are shameful and indefensible — violence is never the answer. However, to ignore the growing tensions behind them is just as dangerous. Rapid, poorly managed immigration has strained communities and eroded trust. If the U.K. wants peace, it needs law, order, and an honest reckoning with a broken immigration system that’s failed the country.