Rioters livestream themselves burning down a HOUSE on TikTok in Balleymena after 'Romanian' teens 'tried to rape girl' - as town braces for third night of carnage
This is the horrifying moment rioters livestream themselves burning down a house on TikTok - as the Northern Irish town of Balleymena braces itself for a third night of carnage.
Footage shared on social media shows thugs giggling as they torch a residential home after smashing the windows and breaking in.
The person behind the camera tells viewers to 'rack them gifts up, boys, rack them up' as he begs for likes and follows in front of the burning building.
At one point, as flames lick the front window of the family home, he gloats 'I've got 2.6k views lad', The Telegraph reports. Gifts on TikTok can be converted into money for the content creator.
Masked thugs break apart wooden pallets and add them to the blaze already raging in the doorway.
When no one flees the burning building the rioters laugh: 'They're probably P****, that's why they're f***ing away running upstairs.'
Terrifying scenes streamed live on TikTok saw rioters kicking in a neighbour's door and shouting of anyone inside to come out - before breaking in and hunting for anyone hiding inside.
Yesterday night terror ripped through Balleymena as chaos ripped through the town for a second day, with riot police battling rioters on the streets.
A crowd of 300 yobs hurled petrol bombs at cops, smashed windows and torched cars throughout the Harryville area - the day after a peaceful vigil of 2,500 people on Monday descended into mayhem.
A fire rages as PSNI riot squad officers battled protesters who threw projectiles and set vehicles on fire
Footage showed one protestor up in flames as rioters hurled petrol bombs, fireworks and masonry at police officers - who condemned the 'racist thuggery' of rioters.
Seventeen police officers were injured during the violence, while other protests also took place Belfast, Lisburn, Coleraine, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) deployed riot police, fired plastic baton rounds, and used water cannons as well as dog units as they fought to restore order.
It comes after two 14-year-old boys - who both required a Romanian interpreter in court - were charged with the attempted oral rape of a teenage girl on June 7.
A third arrest was made in relation to the alleged sexual assault on Monday night as a 28-year-old man was taken in for questioning and then released.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said other arrests are expected following the examination of video footage and said the PSNI was actively working to identify those responsible for the 'racially motivated' disorder.
Mr Henderson added there will be a significant policing operation in the town in the coming days to reassure the community.
Police officers from England and Wales will be brought to Northern Ireland if needed to help the PSNI, the senior police officer added.
Stormont ministers have also made an urgent appeal for calm and said the justice process had to be allowed to take its course.
In a joint statement, ministers from across the powersharing Executive, which includes Sinn Fein, DUP, Alliance Party and UUP, said those involved in disorder have nothing to offer society but 'division and disorder'.
The PSNI said calm had been restored in the Clonavon Terrace, North Road and Bridge Street areas by around 1am on Wednesday.
Officers in the Clonavon Terrace area came under 'sustained attack over a number of hours with multiple petrol bombs, heavy masonry, bricks and fireworks in their direction'.
A spokesperson said earlier in the evening that a number of protests took place in areas of Belfast, Lisburn, Coleraine and Newtownabbey.
In Carrickfergus two bins were set alight and bottles and masonry thrown at police in the Sunnylands area by a group of 20 to 30 young people at around 8.30pm.
In Newtownabbey bins were set alight at the roundabout on O'Neill Road.
During the course of the disorder in Ballymena, officers discharged a number of plastic baton rounds and the water cannon was also deployed in an attempt to disperse the crowds.
The spokesperson said: 'Businesses and homes were attacked and damaged and a number of vehicles were also set on fire in the area. Seventeen officers were injured with some requiring required hospital treatment.
'Five people were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour and remain in police custody this morning. A male was also arrested on suspicion of disorderly behaviour on the O'Neill Road in Newtownabbey.
'A number of nearby roads were closed by police to ensure the safety of the public and local residents, and to enable officers to deal with the situation and disorder safely. All roads were subsequently reopened.'
Fifteen officers had been injured during similar scenes in Ballymena on Monday.
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said scenes of violence in Ballymena 'risk undermining the ongoing criminal justice process led by the PSNI in support of a victim who deserves truth, justice, and protection'.
He added: 'The mindless violence witnessed over the past two nights in Ballymena is deeply concerning and utterly unacceptable.
'These criminal acts not only endanger lives but also risk undermining the ongoing criminal justice process led by the PSNI in support of a victim who deserves truth, justice, and protection. Ironically, and frustratingly, this violence threatens to derail the very pursuit of justice it claims to challenge.
'Let me be clear: this behaviour must stop. I appeal to everyone involved to cease all further acts of criminality and disorder immediately. As with any serious offenders in Northern Ireland, we will pursue those responsible and bring them to justice.
A thug wearing a balaclava hurls something at lines of police officers as cops came under attack for a second night
'We will now begin our investigation of reviewing all evidence gathered, including video footage, and images of the individuals involved will be released to identify offenders. Do not throw away your future and do not continue to endanger or intimidate the lives of others.'
Violent disorder erupted on Monday night around Clonavon Terrace in the town, following an earlier peaceful protest in the day which was organised in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area.
A crowd of 300 yobs hurled petrol bombs at cops, smashed windows and torched cars throughout the Harryville area - the day after the peaceful vigil turned violent.
The PSNI confirmed a number of homes and businesses were attacked as the mob rampaged across the town, while disorder also sparked in Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus and north Belfast.
As horror spread across Ballymena last night masked thugs threw bottles, wood, rocks, metal bars, wheelie bins, and even a child's bike.
In shocking scenes fireworks were aimed at police lines, receiving a large cheer from the crowd of protesters.
Litter and debris were seen strewn across the roads and pavements, while smashed glass covered the town's streets.
Families in the area told reporters they were fleeing their homes while some residents marked their doors with their nationality in an apparent bid to avoid attack.
People's cars were set on fire throughout the town and their windows smashed in
Vehicles parked on the road were smashed up with hammers, while rioters bust their tyres and tipped them upside down.
Officers from the PSNI ran through the town accompanied by police dogs, dodging flying objects and debris from the blazes.
Armoured Land Rovers tried to protect homes while police detained individuals and forced hundreds of people away from properties.
Officers used a loudspeaker to make a repeat warning to 'disperse as force is about to be used against violent individuals'.
Baton rounds - a less lethal alternative to traditional bullets - were fired on protesters, the PSNI later revealed.
In a statement early this morning, when the rioting had finally been quelled at 1am, the force said: 'Calm has been restored in Ballymena following serious disorder in the Clonavon Terrace, North Road and Bridge Street areas last night.
'Disorder broke out shortly before 8pm and continued for several hours with masonry and petrol bombs thrown at police officers and police vehicles. A number of homes and businesses were also attacked.
'During the disorder, authorised officers discharged a number of Attenuating Energy Projectiles (AEPs) and the water cannon was also deployed in an attempt to disperse the crowds. Calm was restored to the area at around 1am.
'Police also dealt with sporadic disorder in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus with some incidents in north Belfast.'
Flames roared dangerously close to residential properties as thick plumes of smoke filled the air.
Houses were seen with their windows smashed in and doors vandalised with holes kicked through them.
Properties had windows smashed as some residents chose to display signs about the nationalities of those normally resident, including one saying 'British household' and another with 'Filipino lives here'.
A water cannon was deployed by PSNI on the crowds, as a huge blaze came from the end of a row of terraced homes and among traffic lights in the town centre.
The Northern Ireland Secretary said there is 'no justification' for attacks on police officers or vandalism in Ballymena.
In a social media post, Hilary Benn said: 'The terrible scenes of civil disorder we have witnessed in Ballymena again this evening have no place in Northern Ireland.
'There is absolutely no justification for attacks on PSNI officers or for vandalism directed at people's homes or property.'
Officers line up as the riots continue to erupt into complete chaos for the second night in a row
The scenes of violence in Ballymena on Monday saw 15 police injured and four homes set alight.
A Romanian mother-of-three who lives in one of the houses attacked during the violence said she has been left too scared to stay in the area.
She said her children were asking why their house was being attacked during disturbances in the town on Monday night.
Several properties were damaged on Clonavon Terrace, while a number of residents said on Tuesday that they now intend to leave the area.
The woman from Romania, who said she was too afraid to give her name, claimed she tried to flee her house after the front window was broken.
'The children were asking me why are we being attacked,' she said.
'I don't want to stay here now, the children are afraid and I am afraid.'
A Romanian man said he had lived in the area for 15 years. 'We don't even know why this happened to us,' he said.
'The riots started last night. We didn't expect it to come to our house.
'We tried to get out of the house and go to a safe place.
'I have lived here 15 years. Everything else has been nice, everything has been OK.
'I have so many friends in Ballymena, I have got so much support.
'Everyone was texting and asking us if we are OK, if we are safe, if they can do anything for us.'
He added: 'I am lucky because the damage here is not too bad, but my sister has three kids, I have a little girl.
'We are going to live in a friend's house for a while and then try to move out of here.'
He said: 'I like to believe I am a Ballymena man now, I have been living here half of my life.
'I understand if people want to protest but it did not have to be like this.
'We should not have to pay the price.'
PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the force had a significant operation in place over the coming days in case there was any repeat of the disturbances on Monday night in the town.
He said: 'We are actively working to identify those responsible for last night's racially motivated disorder in Ballymena and bring them to justice.
'Anyone who has information or who can help identify those responsible is asked to contact police on 101.'
A 29-year-old man was charged with riotous behaviour after being arrested during disorder in Ballymena on Monday night.
The man, who is due to appear before Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Thursday, July 3, has also been charged with disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police.
Mr Henderson said other arrests are expected following the examination of video footage.
Police vehicles are parked in a line forming a wall, seemingly to stop crowds getting through
The Prime Minister's official spokesman described the events which saw police and ethnic minorities targeted as 'very concerning'.
A spokesman for the PM said: 'The disorder we saw in Ballymena is very concerning.
'Obviously, the reports of sexual assault in the area are extremely distressing, but there is no justification for attacks on police officers while they continue to protect local communities.
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