SERIOUS VIOLENCE erupted in Ballymena following a parade of loyalist bands in the town on Saturday night. Twenty seven RUC officers were injured in four hours of rioting in the Harryville area and an attempt was made to burn the local Catholic church.
Loyalists threw petrol bombs at the police, who responded by firing plastic baton rounds. One RUC officer was being treated in hospital last night for serious head injuries after being struck by a concrete stab.
The trouble flared as the parade, involving up to 40 bands, was drawing to a close in Harryville shortly before 10 p.m.
Earlier, the weekly loyalist protest outside the Catholic church, now in its 39th week, passed off without serious incident, with only one arrest.
Police said that onlookers and loyalist "hangers on", rather than the members of the bands, precipitated the violence. At one stage a gang of loyalists tried to break into the Catholic church which has been at the centre of the protest.
The church was empty at the time, as Massgoers had gone home three hours earlier. The mob broke a number of windows and started a fire in the porch. However, police managed to force them from the building. But thereafter the trouble spread and for four hours police and loyalists were involved in sporadic clashes in the area.
Police were attacked in the Wakehurst and Antrim Road areas. A car was hijacked and an attempt was made to set a petrol station alight. Police said that 10 petrol bombs had been hurled at them during the disturbances. In reply, they fired 16 plastic baton rounds.
The police came under frequent attacks as petrol bombs, stones, bottles and other missiles were thrown at them. Six arrests were made.
The trouble marked a further escalation of violence and tensions as the marching season approaches Its most crucial phase.
The local SDLP representative, Mr Sean Farren, said that Saturday's rioting raised serious questions about whether such parades should be allowed to take place to late at night.
The parade started at 8 p.m. and Mr Farren said it was obvious that several of those supporting the event were drunk and in violent mood. "The whole manner and conduct of parades which attract supporters who are likely to cause trouble is something which needs to be seriously addressed by parade organisers", he said yesterday.
Lord Dubs, a Northern Ireland Office Minister, condemned what he described as "disgraceful scenes" near the Church of fur Lady in Harryville. "Once again, the scourge of sectarianism has been exposed in our divided society. There can be no justification for such attacks on church property or on the police", he said.
Canon Sean Connolly the local parish priest, said it was fortunate that the rioters had not managed to get into the main body of the church, where they could have caused major damage. He said that the police had succeeded in preventing serious damage to the building.
"It is very sad. I don't understand the mentality of people who would do something like this", he added.
