Second man arrested after slurry spread on road before first Ballymena Pride parade
He remains in custody and the matter is being treated as a hate crime
A second man has been arrested after slurry was sprayed on a road in Ballymena Co Antrim, hours before the town hosted its first Pride parade.
Officers said they arrested a 20-year-old man on this Sunday, June 29, on suspicion of criminal damage, aiding and abetting criminal damage and causing material to be deposited on a road.
He remains in custody and the matter is being treated as a hate crime.
A 19-year-old man will appear in court on Monday charged in connection with the same incident after being arrested on Saturday, June 28.
This arrest was made after officers on patrol in the Granville Drive area saw slurry on the road at about 2:55am on Saturday morning.
Northern Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Naomi Long, said: “I despair the mentality of those who spread slurry on the streets of their town motivated by hate and bigotry. Disgusting in every sense of the word.
“Solidarity to all at Ballymena Pride. It’s a frightening time but love will always triumph over hate.”