Northern Ireland: Police deploy water cannon against rioters
Northern Ireland saw clashes on the fifth consecutive night as anti-immigrant protesters attacked police officers.
Riot police were attacked with petrol bombs, fireworks, and bottles, reported DPA news agency.
"Last night in Portadown police came under sustained attack from rioters throwing masonry and other missiles," Ryan Henderson, Assistant Chief Constable with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) told AFP news agency.
The PSNI used water canons to disperse crowds twice around midnight local time.
Henderson said police presence would be increased across Northern Ireland over the weekend "to reassure our communities and protect our streets".
Some 63 officers have been injured in the violent protests that first began in Ballymena, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Portadown. Authorities have arrested 15 people and charged four, most of whom are teenagers.
The city of Derry/Londonderry also saw riots and damage to public property. Unrest also spread to the towns of Larne, Belfast and Coleraine.
"What we have seen over the last four days has been devastation, has been horrific for those people targeted — this is women and children, these are families, at the brunt of racist, violent attacks, and it is wrong on every level," First Minister Michelle O'Neill said.
The first riots came after an alleged attempted rape of a young girl by two teenagers in Ballymena.
Two teenagers were arrested and remain in custody. Police have not publicly declared their identities but asked for Romanian interpreters in court.
Police said on Thursday that foreign nationals were forced to hide in wardrobes and attics due to the racist nature of the riots.
"Stop this violence. We will come after you. We will arrest you. We will prosecute you successfully," said Northern Ireland police chief Jon Boutcher, calling the rioters "bigots and racists."
He said the girl who was the survivor of the sexual assault had been "further traumatized" by the riots.
Housing authority Northern Ireland Housing Executive said 14 families were given emergency accommodation and help had been extended to about 50 households this week.
Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom, but was an area of violent conflict between republicans who want to unite the island of Ireland and unionists who want to remain part of the UK.
The violence largely ended with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, but tensions have increased since Brexit.
Edited by: Alex Berry
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