Not Welcome: Northern Ireland’s Race Riots | Foreign Correspondent

Ballymena Riots: Anti-Immigrant Sentiment and Community Tensions

Key Concepts:

• Anti-immigrant sentiment
• Racial hate crime
• Sectarian conflict (The Troubles)
• Roma community
• Cultural incompatibility
• Paramilitary involvement
• Mob justice
• Uncontrolled migration
• Integration issues
• Post-Brexit tensions

I. Introduction: Violence in Ballymena

• Early June: Ballymena, Northern Ireland, experiences three nights of violence against migrants.
• Attacks on homes and cars, forcing migrants to flee.
• The incident is framed as part of a broader UK-wide issue of rising anti-immigrant sentiment.
• Examples of anti-immigrant protests in London and the rise of Nigel Farage's Reform Party are cited.
• The historical context of "The Troubles," a period of sectarian conflict between Catholics and Protestants, is introduced as a backdrop.

II. Ballymena's Context: Demographics and Tensions

• Ballymena: Majority Protestant town of over 30,000.
• Past: Experienced violent attacks on Catholic homes, schools, and churches during the Troubles.
• Recent Changes: Closure of key industries and increased immigration.
• Estimated Population: 2,000 Filipinos and 1,500 Roma.
• Queen Street: Presented as a diverse, working-class community.
• Rising Tensions: Locals accuse Roma community members of antisocial and criminal behavior (selling drugs, dumping rubbish, harassing women).

III. The Trigger: Alleged Attempted Rape and the Protest

• Trigger Event: Two Romanian-speaking teens charged with the attempted rape of a teenage girl.
• Protest: 4,000 people gathered to protest peacefully.
• Gary Lamont: A local resident who participated in the protest.
• Tipping Point: The alleged rape was seen as the "tipping point" for long-simmering tensions.
• Escalation: When the crowd marched towards Clonavon Terrace (where the alleged rape took place), police intervention led to a volatile situation.
• Violence: A group dressed in black targeted homes and cars of migrants, particularly Filipinos and Roma.
• "Local" Signs: Residents displayed signs in their windows to identify themselves as locals.

IV. Gary Lamont's Experience and Conflicted Views

• Gary's Account: Confronted rioters who wanted to identify specific houses.
• Neighbor's House: Heavily vandalized, with an attempted arson.
• Gary's Conflict: Acknowledges the violence was wrong but expresses understanding of the underlying frustrations.
• Cultural Incompatibility Argument: Claims the Roma culture is incompatible with Northern Irish culture, citing issues like rubbish dumping and antisocial behavior.
• "Unless a massive transformation of these people's culture, the Romas, they are incompatible with Northern Irish culture."

V. Sian Mulholland's Perspective: A Local Politician's Response

• Sian Mulholland: A local politician who monitored the violence and worked with police.
• Phone Calls: Received calls from the Filipino and Roma communities seeking help.
• Emergency Shelter: Migrants were taken to a leisure center in Larne, which was then attacked.
• Threats: Sian received threats, including a suggestion to "donate petrol" to her (code for a petrol bomb).
• Roma Discrimination: Acknowledges the discrimination faced by Roma communities even in their countries of origin.
• Solution: Emphasizes that violence is not the solution to tensions.
• "I will never deny that there are frictions and there are tensions. But again, the solution is not to go round and burn people's homes."

VI. Mitko's Story: A Roma Man's Experience of Fleeing

• Mitko: A Roma man from Bulgaria who lived and worked in Ballymena.
• Warning: Warned by a community representative to leave.
• Rejection of Claims: Mitko rejects claims that his community was antisocial.

VII. Broader Context: Immigration Tensions in the UK and Northern Ireland

• Rising Immigration: Increasing numbers of migrants arriving illegally by boat in the UK.
• Northern Ireland: The least diverse region of the UK (3.4% ethnic minority).
• July Bonfire: An effigy targeting migrants was displayed at a traditional July bonfire in Moygashel.

VIII. Sectarianism and Paramilitary Involvement

• Segregation: Catholic and Protestant residential areas are generally segregated in Northern Ireland, with "peace lines" dividing them.
• Malachi O'Doherty: Veteran writer and journalist, believes Northern Ireland's history of sectarian conflict played a role.
• Historical Aversion: Recalls a past protest against a Catholic church in the area.
• Paramilitary Groups: Protestant paramilitary groups (loyalists) have been linked to racial violence in the past.
• Peter: A man with deep paramilitary links, denies loyalist involvement in the riots.
• UVF: Peter served time for weapons convictions while with the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).
• Organized Crime: Acknowledges that some paramilitary groups are involved in organized crime, mainly drugs.
• Peter's Justification: Claims the violence was due to frustration with the behavior of one section of the community.
• "I wouldn't...condone it, but I certainly wouldn't condemn it."

IX. Ongoing Protests and Local Sentiment

• Weekly Protests: A group of locals continues to protest outside homes where they believe Roma still live.
• Distrust of Media: Deep distrust of mainstream media.
• Ernie and Steven: Members of a local Facebook group promoting the protests.
• Intimidation: Deny intimidation, claiming they are protecting women and children.
• Gang Leaders: Claim Romanian and Bulgarian gang leaders are still in town.
• Filipino Incident: Acknowledge the charging of Filipino men with rape and sexual assault but claim it was a "one off thing."
• Targeting Roma: Focused on driving every Roma person out of Ballymena.
• Racism Denial: Deny being racist, arguing they are protecting their community.
• "Is it wrong to protect your women and children?"

X. Political Perspectives: Brexit and Migration Control

• Brexit Vote: The Ballymena area voted strongly for Brexit, with migration being a key concern.
• Jim Allister: A staunch Protestant politician opposed to mass migration.
• Open Border: Criticizes the open land border with the Republic of Ireland (an EU member).
• Freedom of Movement: Argues that Roma citizens of the EU can freely move to the Republic of Ireland and then to Northern Ireland.
• Integration Issues: Claims the Roma community wants to live by its own rules and doesn't want to integrate.
• Mob Rule: Acknowledges that taking the law into your own hands is wrong but claims officialdom ignored the situation for years.
• Increased Tension: Predicts increased tension if the Roma community returns.

XI. Aftermath and Community Views

• Eight Weeks Later: A community hall meeting reveals a hardening of views.
• Improved Life: Locals believe life has improved since the violence.
• Welcoming Town: Ballymena is still considered a welcoming town, but there are issues that need to be addressed.
• Gary's Perspective: Violence is not the answer, but it was a way to be heard.
• Children's Safety: Gary prioritizes the safety of his children.
• Healing Process: Northern Ireland's healing process was disrupted by this new problem.

XII. Conclusion: A Long Way to Go

• Malachi's View: The events in Ballymena were different from past conflicts.
• Future Protests: Expects to see more protests against migrant accommodations.
• Sian's Hope: Hopes for difficult conversations and a healing process.
• Long Journey: Acknowledges that there is a long way to go.

Main Takeaways:

The Ballymena riots were a complex event rooted in a combination of factors: rising anti-immigrant sentiment in the UK, historical sectarian tensions in Northern Ireland, local frustrations with the Roma community, and political concerns about migration control. The violence highlighted the challenges of integration, the role of paramilitary groups, and the potential for mob justice when communities feel ignored by authorities. The situation remains tense, with deep divisions and a long road ahead for healing and reconciliation.