After three nights of anti-migrant riots in Ballymena, tranquillity has returned to the town. Many Roma families have fled and the few remaining residents maintain a low profile. Local sentiment expresses relief at the absence of former foreign neighbors. Estimates suggest that two-thirds of the Roma population, roughly 800 people, are gone, contributing to a feeling of quiet satisfaction among some locals. The previously chaotic neighborhoods have calmed, with residents experiencing a transformed atmosphere akin to a victorious celebration.
"Since Ballymena erupted in three nights of anti-migrant riots last month, tranquility has returned to the County Antrim town. The rioters, after all, got what they wanted."
"Dozens of Roma families that fled have not returned and those that remain keep a low profile they do not linger on the streets and are scarcely visible."
"Of the Roma families who inhabited them there is no sign. There are no official figures but one informed source with ties to the community estimated that of the approximate pre-riot population of 1,200, two-thirds are gone or, to use a loaded term, ethnically cleansed."
"Ballymena was like a whole new town, there was an amazing atmosphere. It was like something out of a movie where the bad gang has been kicked out and people come out to celebrate."
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