Northern Ireland's police chief has warned “bigots and racists” responsible for three nights of violence in the region that his officers will target them.
John Butcher said the young girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena at the weekend, an incident that sparked protests that turned violent in Antrim, had been “further traumatised” by the unrest that began on Monday.
As a result of the riots, 41 police officers were injured, and by Thursday evening 15 people had been detained.
Mr Butcher, who met the girl's family on Thursday, had a clear message for the rioters as he spoke to media in Belfast after a meeting with the watchdog, the Police Authority of Northern Ireland.
“Stop this violence,” he said. “We are coming for you. We are going to arrest you. We are going to prosecute you. This is absolutely not the behavior of a civilized society, and it must end now.”
He said the family was “distressed” by the unrest.
“This girl's family and this girl want this to stop. Our communities want this to stop. We need this to stop. So please do not go out on the streets tonight. If you do, we will prosecute you and we will deal with you through the criminal justice system.”
After the warning by 9 p.m. on Thursday, protests in several cities largely proceeded without serious unrest.
A significant police presence was deployed in Ballymena and Portadown, but there was no repeat of the violence of previous nights.
Police said a separate protest in east Belfast also ended in the early evening.
The unrest earlier in the week resulted in vandalism, burning of vehicles and arson of various properties in several cities.
Molotov cocktails, fireworks, bricks and axes were thrown towards the officers.
Police responded with water cannon, a dog and plastic batons in an attempt to disperse crowds during riots in Ballymena.
Mr Butcher said: “I want to pay special tribute to the 41 police officers who were injured. Each and every one of these officers put themselves at risk to protect our communities.
“And I want to send a very clear message to all of our diverse communities: We stand with you. We are here to protect you.
“We are your police service, and these bigots and racists
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
