"Masked thugs" attack leisure centre during third night of unrest in Northern Ireland

The Larne Leisure Centre in Co Antrim was set ablaze on Wednesday night, June 11, the third night in a row of unrest in Northern Ireland.

"I was disgusted to see a crowd of masked thugs attacking Larne Leisure Centre this evening," Danny Donnelly, an Alliance MLA for East Antrim, wrote on social media on Wednesday night, sharing photos of the centre.

"They threw bricks through windows, burned bins and have lit a large fire nearby.

"Police Service of Northern Ireland officers were attacked with bricks.

"This was an attack on the town."

In a subsequent post, Donnelly wrote: "This is a new low for Larne.

"I encourage anyone with any influence in the town to do what they can to calm this down.

"Someone is going to get killed."

Earlier on Wednesday, Gordon Lyons, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MLA for East Antrim, wrote on social media that he had learned the Larne Leisure Centre was being used to house people who had been evacuated from Ballymena amid the unrest in the town.

It is understood that the people who were evacuated from Ballymena were foreigners who were being targeted amidst the disorder that kicked off on Monday.

"It has been brought to my attention that a number of individuals were temporarily moved to Larne Leisure Centre in the early hours of the morning following the disturbances in Ballymena," Lyons wrote.

"As a local MLA for the area, neither I nor my DUP Council colleagues were made aware or consulted on this decision until late this afternoon.

"It has now been confirmed to us by the PSNI and Council that all these individuals are in the care of the Housing Executive and have been moved out of Larne.

"Protesting is of course a legitimate right but violence is not and I would encourage everyone to remain peaceful."

Less than six hours later, Lyons took to social media to condemn the "damage inflicted on Larne Leisure Centre," adding that it "only serves to hurt residents of the town."

Lyons said: “The violence and disorder witnessed on our streets over recent nights serves no purpose.

"Wanton destruction such as the attack on Larne Leisure Centre is an attack on all residents who use the facility.

"There is absolutely no excuse for what has taken place in Larne, and it must be condemned."

While the unrest spread to Larne on Wednesday night, it continued for a third night in a row in Ballymena, roughly 20 miles away.

The Belfast Telegraph reported on Wednesday night that a number of projectiles had been launched at police in Ballymena, including petrol bombs and fireworks.

Police have returned fire by discharging at least two AEP rounds at rioters, hitting one man in the groin and another man in the leg, according to the Belfast Telegraph.

A water cannon was also used in an effort to disperse the crowds that had gathered close to Clonavon Terrace.

Disorder broke out in Ballymena on Monday night following what had begun as a peaceful vigil in the Co Antrim town.

It is understood the vigil was organized in response to an alleged rape of a teenage girl in the Clonavon Terrace area area of the town on Saturday night, June 7.

Two teenage boys were arrested and charged with attempted rape on Sunday.

On Monday, they appeared in Coleraine Magistrates' Court via videolink from Woodlands Juvenile Centre. They both deny the charges.

There was no application for bail, and they were both remanded in custody until July 2, when they are due to appear by videolink at the youth court at Ballymena Magistrates' Court.

On Tuesday, the PSNI outlined the unrest in Ballymena on Monday night, which saw 15 officers injured and a number of homes and businesses damaged.

"Four houses were damaged by fire, with three people evacuated," the PSNI said on Tuesday. "The attacks on these properties are being investigated as racially-motivated hate attacks."

A 29-year-old man was arrested during Monday night's disorder, with the PSNI confirming on Tuesday that he had been charged with riotous behaviour, disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage, and resisting police. He is due to appear before Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Thursday, July 3, PSNI said.

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June 10, 2025: Scenes in Ballymena, Co Antrim. (Getty Images)

There was more unrest in Ballymena on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday morning, the PSNI said that Tuesday was a "second night of rioting and disorder" in the Clonavon Terrace area of Ballymena.

On Tuesday night, "police officers came under sustained attack over a number of hours with multiple petrol bombs, heavy masonry, bricks and fireworks in their direction," the PSNI said.

The PSNI said that earlier on Tuesday evening, officers attended protests in Belfast, Lisburn, Coleraine, and Newtownabbey to monitor the situation and ensure an appropriate and proportionate policing response.

In Carrickfergus, two bins were set alight and bottles and masonry thrown at police in the Sunnylands area by a group of 20-30 young people at around 8:30 pm.

In Newtownabbey, bins were set alight at the roundabout on O’Neill Road.

During the course of the serious disorder in Ballymena on Tuesday night, authorised officers discharged a number of Attenuating Energy Projectiles (AEPs), and the water cannon was also deployed in an attempt to disperse the crowds.

Businesses and homes were attacked and damaged, and a number of vehicles were also set on fire in the area.

The PSNI said that 17 officers were injured, with some requiring hospital treatment. 

Five people were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour and remained in police custody as of Wednesday morning.

A male was also arrested on suspicion of disorderly behaviour on the O’Neill Road in Newtownabbey.