Religious leaders condemn Ballymena violence
Religious leaders have condemned two nights of disorder seen in Ballymena, demanding that trouble stop immediately.
Both the Presbyterian and Methodist churches have blasted the violent scenes, which have seen homes heavily damaged, cars burned out, 32 police officers injured and several people arrested on rioting charges.
Sporadic rallies also cropped elsewhere on Tuesday night, leading to clashes with the police in Carrickfergus, and there have been calls for more protests across the province over the next few days.
Speaking as he opened the second day of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s General Assembly, the Moderator, Right Reverend Dr Richard Murray, condemned the disorder while demanding “those who engage in such mindless acts stop all illegal behaviour”.
“The right to peaceful protest must be recognised in a democratic society,” he said from the moderator’s chair. “However, what followed was that the original protest was hijacked by elements the PSNI have described as racist and violent.
“This has now spread to other areas. This must be condemned, and we call on those to engage in such mindless acts to stop all illegal behaviour.”
Praying for an end to acts of violence, he asked for God’s mercy on “parts of our country where there is violence, where there is suffering”.
He stated: “We pray, father, for an end to the acts of violence. We pray, father, for the police, that you will give them the help that they need; we pray for a restoration of peace, the good relations, for a sense of harmony.”
In addition to incidents in Ballymena, Monday’s violence also saw a petrol bomb attack on the home of a Filipino family in a nearby village, Cullybackey.
A joint statement from Methodist ministers in Cullybackey and Ballymena strongly condemned the violence in both areas. “Racism, attacking the PSNI, and the burning of houses and cars can have no place in our community,” it said.
“We ask our people to show care and love for all of our neighbours and to pray for an immediate end to this violence. We have already expressed our support to local politicians and the Chief Constable as they deal with this difficult and dangerous situation.”