In Northern Ireland, violent clashes erupted in Ballymena, where police faced attacks involving petrol bombs and masonry after a peaceful protest supporting a sexual assault victim. As unrest spread to nearby towns like Coleraine and Larne, a leisure center that served as a shelter for displaced families was set ablaze by masked youth. Families marked their nationality outside their homes amid fears of targeted violence against foreign residents. Political tensions arose as Minister Gordon Lyons faced criticism for remarks related to the accommodation of immigrant families affected by the violence.
Mr Lyons resisted calls for his resignation and said he would "strongly hit back at any notion" that he had publicly revealed the facility was being used to house immigrant families who had been affected by violence in Ballymena.
The violence began around Clonavon Terrace in Balymena on Monday night following an earlier peaceful protest which was organised in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area.
Families in some areas have resorted to marking their nationality with flags on their front doors after masked gangs targeted homes thought to belong to foreign families in the area.
Unrest spread to other towns on Wednesday, including Coleraine and Larne - where the leisure centre was set on fire by masked vandals who also smashed windows.
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