Spreading sludge in Ballymena prior to Pride parade leads to arrests
In the dead of the night on June 28, 2025, cops nabbed a 19-year-old scoundrel in Ballymena, following a vile stunt where slurry was dumped along the final stretch of the town's inaugural Pride parade route. This despicable act is being handled as a hate crime.
The slime was found on Greenvale Street, the finale for the parade, around 2.55 A.M. Fueling suspicions, shopfronts in the area were also vandalized with spray paint. The creepy culprit is detained on charges of criminal damage and carrying a sharp object or weapon.
Authorities are leaving no stone unturned in their probe, appealing for public help to gather leads. They've emphasized the hate crime aspect and encouraged anyone with information to contact them or remain anonymous.
This distasteful act has created quite a stir in the community, raising fears and concerns as they geared up to celebrate Ballymena's first-ever Pride parade.
Local groups and residents, though not explicitly mentioned, can be presumed to be furious about the hate crime and fully supporting the Pride event. The police response indicates a firm stance against this act as an attack on the LGBTQ+ community in Ballymena.
The incident stirred strong reactions, with Northern Ireland's Justice Minister, Naomi Long, branding the act as "disgusting" and expressing despair towards the "mentality of those who spread slurry on the streets of their town motivated by hate and bigotry." Sinn Féin MLA, Philip McGuigan, urged solidarity for the Ballymena Pride participants, criticizing the slurry incident as a "disgraceful act" aimed at disrupting the parade and intimidating participants. Both emphasized the importance of equality, rights, and respect in our society.
In light of the recent events, the hate crime against the LGBTQ+ community during Ballymena's Pride parade has sparked intense discussion in the realm of both local politics and general-news. The Northern Ireland Justice Minister, Naomi Long, has expressed outrage, calling the act "disgraceful" and condemning the mentality of those responsible. Meanwhile, Sinn Féin MLA, Philip McGuigan, has urged solidarity for the Pride participants, labeling the slurry incident as a heinous attempt to disrupt the parade and intimidate participants. The political stance against this crime underscores the importance of equality, rights, and respect in the justice and crime-and-justice sectors.
