There have been several consecutive nights of violence and disorder on the streets of Northern Ireland, with Ballymena at the centre of the unrest.
The events follow an alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl in the town on June 7th.
Tim Atwood from the John and Pat Hume Foundation told The Anton Savage Show that while the weather may have put a damper on potential protests last night, there is still a huge sense of anxiety among minority communities.
“There’s clearly an issue across these islands, and we saw the problems in Southport last year and the violence from that,” he said.
“And obviously in O’Connell Street and other parts of the South of Ireland; so, there is a similar trend.
“I think it’s very important to get the facts out, because obviously with social media, there’s a lot of misinformation.”
Riot police on the streets of Ballymena Co Antrim as tesions rise after riots in recent days. Image: Steven McAuley. 11 June 2025Mr Atwood cited a study published in February this year by the Northern Ireland Assembly, which showed that the region is the least diverse part of the UK.
“There’s only 3.4% of the population in Northern Ireland that is from a minority community,” he said.
“In England and Wales, it’s nearly 18% and in Scotland it’s 13%.
“In the 22 years from 2001 to 2023, there was only a net international migration of 62,000 people, so we have the fewest and the least diverse society in these islands.”
Health system
According to Mr Atwood, without international migrants, many systems in Northern Ireland would be incapable of functioning.
“If you’re going to the ED or you go to see your parents in hospital or there for a longer stay, you can see the diversity in the staff,” he said.
“Without that diversity, without those communities from across the world coming to Northern Ireland and these islands to support the health service, it would not operate.”
Mr Atwood said that rather than these communities being targeted, they should be valued by the people of Northern Ireland.
Main image: Demonstrators take part in a United Against Racism rally at Belfast City Hall. Image: Saturday June 14, 2025. Brian Lawless/Alamy.
