Gordon Lyons: Racist attacks in Ballymena must be condemned ‘unequivocally’

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Racist attacks in Ballymena need to be condemned “unequivocally” by politicians and wider society, Northern Ireland's Communities Minister has said.

It comes after a number of cars were set on fire and destroyed during a racist attack in the Co Antrim town on Sunday.

Ballymena also suffered several nights of racist violence earlier in the summer.

The weekend incident happened in the Lisnevenagh Road area and was the latest in a series of racist crimes across Northern Ireland.

Police have appealed for information.

Sam Carson, a farmer and landlord in Ballymena, said there has been a “campaign of hate” against him and his Filipino tenants.

Reacting to the incidents, Gordon Lyons said they were perpetrated by a “very small minority” and that the “vast majority want nothing to do with that whatsoever”.

The DUP MLA said the matter will be discussed at the first meeting of the Executive following the summer recess.

Speaking to BBC News, Mr Lyons said: “Unequivocally, we need to condemn what has taken place.”

He added: “And more than that, we need to make sure that we are taking action to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”

Mr Lyons said it is important that individual departments in the Executive take action to tackle the racist attacks.

Asked if politicians had failed to take action thus far, the minister said: “Ultimately, the responsibility lies with those that have taken part in this violence and this activity that needs to be condemned unequivocally, and that’s what we are doing.

“So let’s make sure we put the blame where that lies, but let’s make sure we take the actions that we can take so that this doesn’t happen again.”

He added that the NI Executive had already shown leadership and taken action.

“Unfortunately, this is nothing new. It’s a problem that has existed in the past, continues to exist, but let’s make sure that we’re working together, and the responsibility doesn’t just fall on politicians; it’s on wider society as well.”

Mr Lyons rejected claims that the DUP had failed to act to calm down racial tensions.

“It is wrong for anybody to say we haven’t condemned this violence,” he said.

Responding to separate incidents which recently occurred in North Belfast, Mr Lyons said: “There’s no room for sectarianism either. That’s something else that needs to be stamped out.”