Rasharkin: Orange hall attacked in ‘sectarian hate crime’ hours before north Antrim village hosts Twelfth celebrations
A north Antrim Orange hall has been attacked hours before the start of a Twelfth demonstration in the village.
Police have confirmed they are treating the criminal damage caused to Rasharkin Orange Hall in the early hours of Saturday morning as a sectarian-motivated hate crime.
Paint had been thrown over the front of the Main Street building and graffiti daubed on walls opposite.
PSNI District Commander for Causeway Coast and Glens, Superintendent Sinead McIldowney said: “We are treating this criminal damage as a sectarian-motivated hate crime.
"The Police Service condemns all sectarian hate crime and criminal damage caused to any property is absolutely unacceptable.
"We will thoroughly investigate this matter and would appeal to anyone with information to contact us on 101, quoting reference 177 of 12/07/25.
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"Our officers will continue to proactively patrol the area and engage with the local community around any concerns they may have.”
North Antrim MP and TUV leader, Jim Allister, said: “The overnight sectarian attack on Rasharkin Orange Hall and the painting of terrorist slogans in the village, before it hosts Twelfth celebrations, typifies the unbridled hatred of Orange and Unionist culture that is designed to drive out its remaining Protestant residents.
"The local unionist community will nonetheless not be deterred by this latest manifestation of sectarian hatred.
"The precedent of such attacks and therefore the predictability of such on the 11th night ought to have led to a police presence in the village which clearly was absent.”
Mr Allister said he stands with his constituents “who have for so long borne such republican hatred”.