A man who was inside a leisure centre during violent disorder on Wednesday night has spoken of the fear among customers and staff.
Northern Ireland Assembly Member Danny Donnelly said Larne Leisure Centre was being used by families and children for swimming and classes at the time of attack.
On Wednesday night, masked youths attacked the leisure centre and set it on fire. The centre had been providing emergency shelter for families following the clashes in Ballymena, the council said.
Donnelly said there was “clearly a malicious attempt developing” as masked youths gathered outside the centre carrying bricks.
“It was very *, very * sinister, the atmosphere certainly felt to me very *, very * threatening,” he added.
“The staff made sure people were getting out and getting to their cars safely,” he said.
“They were managing the door of the premises to make sure, that despite repeated attempts to get in – people who were… in masks and things – were not accessing the property,” Donnelly took BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme.
“It became more and more sinister, and it became more and more obvious that there was a malicious intent, you know, you don't come to a peaceful protest with a mask and bricks.”
He said as people and children become “fearful” staff helped people “to leave via the side doors and get to their cars safely”.
Brick through window at yoga class
“There was a brick that came through the window while there were women doing a class, so on the floor on yoga matts.
“And a brick came, quite a large brick, came flying through the window, thankfully nobody was hurt but as you can imagine there was glass everywhere and the women had to get up and leave,” he said.
Donnelly said it quickly became violent and the windows of the leisure centre were “systematically being put in”.
He added that there was paint being thrown over fire doors and described it as a “sustained attack” on the building.
“They were already throwing bricks at the police as well,” he said.
“Now * at that point as the glass was coming in around them, the staff then left through the back door, very * fearful for their own safety”.
‘Larne doesn't need this'
Donnelly has appealed for calm across Northern Ireland.
“Larne doesn't need this, Northern Ireland doesn't need this, no town needs this,” he said.
“We've lost services at our leisure centre, the staff were incredibly shocked and frightened. Families were in sight of this last night.”
Donnolly was among a number of elected representatives criticising a Stormont minister over a social media post about the location of migrant families who left their homes hours before the centre was attacked.
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons of the Democratic Unionist Party ( DUP) said that people caught up in clashes in Ballymena were being temporarily moved to Larne Leisure Centre.
Sinn Féin Finance Minister John O'Dowd claimed Lyons “failed to show leadership”.
Donnelly said: “I thought it was incredibly reckless and dangerous to highlight the location of where these people were being kept and brought to a place of safety.”
“If I was the Minister, I would certainly be considering my position,” he added.
Lyons has defended his comments saying the information was in the public domain, and had been confirmed by the local council.
