There were pockets of disorder in Portadown following a planned protest in the town on Thursday evening.
Hundreds of people gathered at Jervis Street shortly before 7.30pm in what was labelled as a stand against “illegal migrant gangs, paedophiles, drug pushers, human traffickers, slum landlords and prostitutes”.
There was a large police presence in an attempt to quell any potential unrest, similar to scenes witnessed in Ballymena and Larne earlier in the week.
Police Land Rovers circulated the town from early evening as a helicopter hovered above.
The main protest was a relatively peaceful one, but there were a number of flashpoints along the way as police blocked entry to Edward Street and Thomas Street – both earmarked as part of the protest route.
A housing association had earlier warned residents of the planned protest, stating that it “could lead to an unsafe situation, and we would recommend that you stay with family or friends during the protest”.
The letter to its tenants added: “Recent protests in other areas have led to disruption to traffic and damage to property, and we would recommend that measures are taken to secure your property and belongings.”
A loudspeaker warned protesters to disperse, and there appeared to be a baton round fired in the town centre as a number of police officers clashed with the crowd.
Officers came under attack from masked youths as items, including bricks and a beer keg, were thrown and bins set on fire.
While there were smaller incidents in the town centre, the disorder appeared to be confined to surrounding residential areas.
More to follow..
