What is happening in Northern Ireland? Violence continues for the second day; Police call it ‘racist thugs’

Hundreds of masked rioters collided with police and set arson, targeting several properties in the northern Irish city of Ballimena at the second consecutive night of violence after protests on alleged sexual exploitation.Heavy police deployment has been done in many areas of the city, which is some 45 km from the capital Belfast. Police said that they are dealing with severe unrest and urge people to escape from the region.Authorities responded with water cannon and plastic baton round after being attacked with petrol bombs, masonry and rocks to disperse the crowd, AFP saidFifteen police officers were injured on Monday, requiring some hospital treatment. According to local media reports, as the night went ahead, the crowd started spreading, some groups were still meeting around the city center. In addition, some protesters were allegedly blocking the roads for Belfast.Violence first erupted first on Monday when two boys accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl at County Entrim Town were produced in court.Many cars were tortured, one with one was overturned and surrounded in flames, as the police resonated through the city of Siren. The initial wave of unrest saw four houses damaged by the fire, while the windows and doors were scattered in nearby residences and businesses, ACTS authorities are considered to be racially induced hatred crimes.Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said at a press conference on Tuesday, “The violence was clearly racially inspired and targeted between our minority ethnic communities and police.”He said, “It was racist thugs, pure and simple, and any attempt to justify it or explain it is something else wrong.”“It was crazy last night because many people came here and tried to set the house on fire,” Albu, who works in a factory, told AFP.“People were going after foreigners, whichever they were, or how innocent they were,” the woman, who did not want to share her name for security reasons.“But there were locals inside the house below the road, scared of hell.”The British government and local politicians condemned the violence.The UK Northern Ireland minister Hillary has been written on X, “There is no place in Northern Ireland, the terrible view of civil disorder in Ballimena again this evening.”