Northern Ireland immigration protests and violence: MP says rioting in Portadown 'entirely unacceptable' and undermines 'legitimate' concerns
Rioting which injured 22 officers in Portadown was "entirely unacceptable" and undermined the rights peaceful protestors to highlight “legitimate” concerns about illegal immigration, the local MP has said.
Police said 22 officers were injured in rioting in Portadown on Thursday night when they came under sustained attack with heavy masonry, fireworks and beer kegs.
A woman in her 50s and a man in his 30s were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour and related offences.
The latest incidents followed three consecutive nights of violence, mainly in Ballymena, following a protest over an alleged sexual assault.
There was also sporadic disorder elsewhere in NI on Thursday night following mainly peaceful protests, in the Templemore Avenue area of east Belfast, Newtownabbey and Coleraine.
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher warned on Thursday his officers would be coming after the “bigots and racists” behind the disorder, PA reported.
In a statement on Friday morning, Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson described events in Portadown.
“Officers deployed a variety of public order tactics to restore order to the town as quickly as possible,” he said.
“Twenty-two officers were injured and I am so grateful to them for their bravery and selfless dedication in protecting the community of Portadown from this criminality.
“We saw calm in Ballymena and I hope the powerful words of the family who asked for calm during this really difficult time were heard and continue to be heard over the coming days.”
He warned that while two arrests have been made so far in terms of the disorder in Portadown, more will follow.
“I repeat, once more, our appeal for calm across Northern Ireland in the coming days,” he said.
By today, 63 police officers had been injured in the violence, with 15 arrests.
Ahead of the Portadown trouble, Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart said on social media that "there is a legitimate concern across our society about illegal immigration and the need for firm policies" but that the peaceful protest "must not tip into confrontation or chaos".
After the violence, she added: “I met with the PSNI on Thursday alongside Party colleagues where we had a robust meeting to discuss how the protest would be handled. Tensions had been increased because of issues associated with the pro-Palestinian march last weekend which passed through Scarva.
"I was in Portadown throughout the evening with colleagues and thankfully Portadown did not experience the level of destruction and violence witnessed in other towns earlier this week.
"However, there were some who came into Portadown with the intent of rioting. That is entirely unacceptable, and they must bear responsibility not just for their own actions, but for undermining the ability of others to peacefully highlight issues of concern to the community."
Speaking on BBC Talkback on Friday, Ms Lockhart said that her constituency was highly dependent on migrant workers in the NHS and the agri-food sector, but that there are significant concerns about illegal immigration.
UUP Upper Bann MLA Doug Beattie was also in the town centre during the protest.
"The vast majority of people were absolutely peaceful, and there were calls from loyalist groups and community groups across Portadown for peaceful protest,” he said. “There was only a small hardcore of people who were hell bent on violence.”
He commended the police for how they handled the situation.
Mr Beattie believed that the rioters - aged around 15 - were trying to attack several sites giving accommodation to asylum seekers. When foiled by police, he saw them talking to someone on their mobiles to take fresh directions to try and get around police lines. He described the violence as “orchestrated”.
He added: "Of course, there are people who are coming into the United Kingdom who shouldn't be here, and we need a system to return to their country of origin very quickly. However this can only be resolved at Westminster”.
The MLA affirmed immigration via lawful channels of war refugees and workers who are "absolutely key to our economy".
But he said there was increasingly little space in the public sphere to discuss such issues.
"You talk about immigration concerns, and you're called right wing and racist. You talk about women's rights, and you're transphobic. Support Israel's right to defend itself, and you support genocide. Support the innocent people of Palestine, and you are a Hamas supporter.
"Sinn Fein, the SDLP and the Alliance Party are far too quick to label people instead of trying to address concerns."