Views from the streets of riot-hit Ballymena neighbourhood - residents speak about disorder

However, they voiced opposition to the violence that followed, and fears for what it means for migrants more generally.

The News Letter was on the streets in the Clonavon Terrace area on Wednesday, which was the centre of unrest the previous two nights.

On that one street alone there were 12 properties either boarded up totally or partially, or with crime scene tape around the entrance.

A great many windows had Union flags in them (with one 19-year-old Roma man telling the News Letter that a "Prod" he knows on the street had recommended it).

A catalyst for the violence was an alleged sex assault in the area on Saturday. Two boys, speaking in court through a Romanian interpreter, have been charged with attempted oral rape (with the court being told they denied the offence in police interviews).

But the peaceful gatherings soon gave way to attacks on homes and police, with the PSNI saying the violence was racially motivated.

Marika Petriscova, 30, is a Czech who works at the Galgorm resort and has been in the country for 13 years.

She lives in a different part of Ballymena, told the News Letter: "The protests that they did, it's right for that poor girl [the victim of the alleged sex attack].

"But they're damaging other lives – some people living here 10, 20 years, who are working hard, never have problems... damaging our nice town."

She said "yes, the protesting is right," but is worried that "every foreigner" is now looked upon negatively.

Elena Botanu, a 34-year-old Romanian who works in IT, said: "Regarding the assault, it's disgusting, terrifying. And with the protesting, I agree. But that shouldn't go to violence."

She too complained of the behaviour of some immigrants, saying some are "coming here for benefits".

"People want their children to be safe – I think they are right to protest," she added.

Her husband Andrei (32, who makes panels for Wrightbus) said they have an autistic child who depends heavily on familiarity and routine, making it extra difficult to move house. But he said they have little choice: "In the future we're not safe anymore to stay here."

Sarah McCloskey, a stay-at-home mum of three girls, aged 32, said: "It's madness, destroying everyone else's property."

She was one of just a few locals to speak, and says the protests are "nothing to do with migration - we just want to be safe to be able to walk our streets".

She said, indeed, that she is planning to marry a Nigerian who formerly lived in Italy.

However, she said she understands people's anger with the "rude" behaviour of some immigrants and also with the "outrageous" alleged sex attack in the area.

She added: "I do worry that people are going to maybe start targeting me because I'm going out with a black man, but I'm big enough I stand up for myself and I'll speak back – I won't let them bother me."

How does her fiance feel about what's happened? "He's not a big person of words," she replied.

Valentina Donovalova, aged 12, moved to Northern Ireland five years ago from the Czech Republic.

"People have been fine to us, nothing happened to our house," she said, with her mother and siblings standing next to her.

"But we're really nervous because it's just been chaos."

She had heard that there were going to be more people on the streets tonight, but that it would not be concentrated in her neighbourhood.

Another man, a member of the Roma ethnic group, aged 19, who wouldn't give his name, said: "It's not right. We'll have to leave at some point because it won't stop. They were waiting for this... they're not going to stop til everyone is out."

Meanwhile Thomas McMaster, 16, said: "I'd say it's got out of hand – smashing up people's houses and burning their cars.

"It's not really doing anything for Ballymena, just destroying the whole town and putting other innocent people's lives in danger."

He believes some of those involved in the unrest had come up from Belfast.

Meanwhile a B&B owner, Brad Koskiewicz, 51 and originally from Detroit in the USA, said his boat had been smashed up by rioters (and was pictured in news footage broadcast across the world).

"There's 20 litres of petrol in there, I'm so grateful no-one got hurt," he said. "It could have blown up a few houses."

He said that one of his guests was scared during the rioting, and that he was getting cancellations.

He is not taking sides at all over the issues linked to the rioting, he said, adding that he had seen worse in Detroit.