Hindu and Muslim leaders in Leicester appeal for calm after clashes
‘We together call upon the inciters of hatred to leave our city alone’: Hindu and Muslim leaders in Leicester appeal for calm as they condemn violent clashes in city ‘fuelled by gangs from Birmingham’
- Jame Mosque and Iskcon Hindu temple stressed close bonds between two faiths
- Recent cricket match labelled a trigger for tensions that had been building
- Clashes at weekend saw 47 people arrested and dozens of police officers injured
- The Queen’s funeral: All the latest Royal Family news and coverage
Leaders of Leicester’s Hindu and Muslim communities today made an impassioned plea for calm following shocking scenes of violence that have rocked the city in recent weeks.
In a joint statement, leaders from the Jame Mosque and Iskcon Hindu temple stressed the close bonds of friendship between the two faiths and called for an immediate end to the ‘provocation and violence’ that culminated in 25 police officers injured and 47 arrests over the weekend.
The most recent clashes between large groups of mostly young men in the east part of the city came as tensions boiled over following a recent cricket match between India and Pakistan.
But locals say the relationship between the two communities has been strained for months, instead labelling the match as a ‘trigger’ for the latest bout of disorder – fuelled by an influx of ‘gangs from Birmingham’.
In their joint statement today, the Jame Mosque and Iskcon Hindu temple told those inciting violence and hatred: ‘We will not let you succeed.’
The statement read: ‘We, the family of Leicester, stand in front of you not only as Hindus and Muslims but as brothers and sisters.
‘Our two faiths have lived harmoniously in the wonderful city for over half a century.’
Delivered on the steps of the Mosque by the Hindu leader Pradyumna Pradipgajjar, the statement emphasised the struggles both communities had battled to make the East Midland’s city their home.
It read: ‘We arrived in this city together. We face the same challenges together; we fought off racist haters together and collectively made this city a beacon of diversity and community cohesion.
An armed thug has been jailed for ten months following violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Leicester which has led to 47 arrests. Pictured: Footage of clashes shared online
The latest violence comes after a brawl linked to the India v Pakistan cricket match where video showed a large group of young man clashing in the street despite the police presence
‘That is why we are saddened and heartbroken to see the eruption of tension and violence. Physical attacks on innocent individuals and unwarranted damage to property are not part of a decent society and, indeed, not part of our faiths.
‘What we have seen is not what we’re about. We together call upon the immediate cessation of provocation and violence both in thought and behaviour. We together call upon the inciters of hatred to leave our city alone.
‘We are a strong family, we will work together to resolve whatever concern may arise – we do not need to call up any assistance from outside our city. Leicester has no place for any foreign extremist ideology that causes division.
‘Our message to anyone that sows disharmony between us is clear ‘we will not let you succeed’.
‘We ask all to respect the sanctity of religious places, both mosques and mandirs [Hindu temple] alike – whether provocation with loud music, flag bearing, derogatory chants or physical attacks against the fabric of worship. This is not acceptable nor upheld by our faiths.
‘As with all families, we will be having honest and uncomfortable conversations in addressing the issues, but we are confident that with our faith in God and, indeed, faith in each other, we will come out of this even stronger.
‘We’re One Family.’
Community leaders earlier said the violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims were the result of outsiders coming to the city and inflaming existing tensions.
Over the weekend, police made 47 arrests after clashes between large groups of mostly young men in the east part of the city, as tensions boiled over following a recent cricket match between India and Pakistan.
Footage of violence breaking out after the cricket match on August 28 was shared widely on social media and police have since asserted the incident was not initially along religious lines.
Community leaders in Leicester claim the long-standing tension has been inflamed by misinformation being spread online and outsiders who have travelled to the city from nearby areas such as Birmingham.
Pictured: This clip showed masked men walking into east Leicester after tensions spilled over
Temporary Chief Constable Rob Nixon for Leicestershire Police said that police officers who had been deployed to the capital have been sent back to the east Midlands city to help
This included the claim that a Muslim man was assaulted at the cricket match which police have since said is untrue, instead clarifying that the victim was Sikh and supported the same team as the attackers.
This weekend, police officers were diverted from the Queen’s funeral preparations in London to deal with the most recent unrest which erupted on Saturday night and continued into Sunday.
So far, one man from Leicester has been jailed for his role in the incident but police have confirmed that a number of those arrested were from outside the city.
Amos Noronha, 20, was sentenced to 10 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of an offensive weapon in connection with the violence but no further details of his crime were released.
Noronha was one of 47 people arrested across the weekend after the clashes which resulted in 16 officers being injured.
Those arrested stand accused of an array of offences including affray, assault, possession of weapons and violent disorder.
Dharmesh Lakhani, who has lived in the city for more than 50 years and works with local mosques, says he feels it was outside influences that inflamed the situation.
He told BBC R4’s Today programme: ‘It’s been brewing slowly, slowly, slowly, and what happened at cricket acted as a trigger.
‘Now my personal feeling is that if it was just people from Leicester, things would have calmed down.
‘I feel there’s outside influences here and they’re not welcome. We really need just the people of Leicester, the Hindu organisations, the Muslim organisations, our authorities, the police and our local council and we could sort this out straight away.’
Video of the cricket match brawl filmed on Shaftesbury Avenue, and shared on Twitter, shows a number of young men throwing punches.
The clip also shows what appears to be an officer being assaulted by a member of the crowd, before managing to pin the attacker down and call for assistance.
Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has said said he is ‘baffled’ by the disturbances in the city as it was normally ‘very peaceful’ with good relations between different communities.
Sir Peter said the trouble had been fuelled by some ‘very distorted social media stuff’ as well as people coming from outside to ‘have a bit of a set-to’ in Leicester.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme yesterday, he praised the response of the police and said he was confident there would be no repeat of the events on Saturday.
‘The way in which they dealt with things [on Sunday] was very effective indeed and hopefully will have made sure we don’t get a repeat of what happened on Saturday,’ he said.
‘I have talked to a lot of community leaders and they are doing what they can to bring Leicester to normal because in Leicester normal is very good relations between people of different faiths.
‘They and I while being baffled by it are also very disturbed by it but I think we are all very confident Leicester is resilient enough to be able to return to normal relations very soon.’
Videos from the scene at the weekend showed a group of masked men march through Leicester with one seen armed with a 2×4 foot piece of wood.
On Sunday, there were ugly scenes across the east of the city, which began after police received reports of an unauthorised protest involving up to 200 people marching towards Highfields.
Another night of violence reportedly broke out between young Muslims and Hindus on Sunday
Leicestershire Police said a number of resources were provided to them, with extra officers deployed from the West Midlands, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Horses from Thames Valley Police were also deployed in the city, the force added.
Police said the extra assistance was provided through the normal mutual aid process and some officers were diverted from going to London to help.
All available local officers were sent to the scene immediately in an attempt to engage with the crowd, while extra officers were called in. But the protesters continued their march before the extra officers arrived.
An opposing group then gathered. Police issued a dispersal order, but several other incidents of violence and disorder then broke out across the east of the city.
Footage has since emerged of police wielding batons shouting at people to get back as bottles were thrown, narrowly missing officers.
Video of fights breaking out on the streets surfaced Sunday with police breaking up the two groups – just hours after two arrests were made when disturbances broke out at an unplanned protest on Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday morning.
Fights and scuffles broke out, cars were damaged and one man was filmed reportedly tearing down a flag outside a Hindu temple in Belgrave Road.
Suleman Nagdi, from the city’s Federation of Muslim Organisations, said it was the first time he could remember the communities becoming violent.
Footage emerged showing the brewing tensions between the two groups with mass marches showing hundreds of people congregating – with very few police officers to control the scene
Both Jonathan Ashworth (pictured left) and Claudia Webbe (pictured right) have expressed concern over the recent spate of violent clashes in their constituency area of Leicester
The violence is believed to have been between Muslim and Hindu communities, with Mr Nagdi saying ‘loyalties kicked in’ after the cricket.
The belief that the flames of sectarian tension were being fanned by outsiders and those spreading misinformation online were echoed by the region’s MPs.
Independent MP for Leicester East Claudia Webbe previously said some social media accounts appeared to be ‘preying on this unease’ by ‘spreading misinformation’.
She wrote to Leicestershire Police’s temporary chief constable at the start of the month, and then again, before the weekend’s recent trouble, urging vigilance, and passing on reports ‘of incitement to hate targeted at those of Muslim of Hindu faith’.
Across the community there have been repeated calls for restraint following the weekend, most recently from the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), which said ‘hatred of any kind has no place in our society’.
The collective leadership of many of the main Hindu and Jain temples have also appealed to all ‘for calm in the city’.
Leaders of Leicester’s Hindu and Muslim communities today made an impassioned plea for calm following shocking scenes of violence that have rocked the city over recent weeks.
In a joint statement leaders from the city’s Jame Mosque and Iskcon Hindu temple, stressed the close bonds of friendship between the two faiths and called for an immediate end to the ‘provocation and violence’ that culminated in 25 police officers injured and 47 arrests over the weekend.
Pictured: Footage of the disorder after cricket match in August was widely shared online
In the aftermath of the cricket brawl, some claimed a Muslim man was attacked but police have said this was not true and in fact the victim was Sikh supported the same team as his attackers
They told those inciting violence and hatred: ‘We will not let you succeed.’
Delivered on the steps of the Mosque by the Hindu leader Pradyumna Pradipgajjar, the statement emphasized the struggles both communities had battled to make the East Midland’s city their home.
Leicester’s troubles have also taken on an international dimension. The High Commission of India and, on Tuesday, the Pakistan High Commission have both issued statements, condemning violence against the Hindu and Muslim communities, respectively.
‘When there’s violence, we come together and tell them it won’t be tolerated in Leicester’
People in the areas of Leicester affected by recent violence have spoken of their shock and disappointment – but also their hopes the disorder will soon come to an end.
Leicestershire Police had a busy time on Saturday and Sunday nights, policing groups of people gathering in city neighbourhoods. The incidents led to arrests and the police calling for calm.
The police operation is ongoing in the east of Leicester and officers were out in force last night to deal with any further incidents. But for people living in the areas affected, there is shock, sadness and hope it will soon all be over.
A Muslim business owner in the Spinney Hills area, who did not want to be named, said: ‘I’ve lived here since I was four and we’ve never had this kind of problem before between faiths. I have Hindu customers and Hindu friends – we spend time together and play cricket together.
‘When there’s violence we come together, with the police, and tell them it won’t be tolerated in Leicester. All my Hindu customers here say they’re against what’s happening.
‘We need to stamp this out and I think they’ve got the message now. We’re all together here – Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs.
‘This is 2022 – we’re just trying to work hard and worry about paying our electricity bills!
Another man in the Spinney Hills area, who did not want to be named, said: ‘It’s about the politics in India and some immigrants who have come to Leicester recently think they can bring the sort of thing that happens in India to this city but we won’t accept it. It shouldn’t happen in Leicester.’
Linden Walker, 52, added: ‘I’ve seen the police around. I think it should all stop soon.’
People living in the area around the Golden Mile in Belgrave were also hopeful the trouble would end. Michaela Sufterova, 24, of Belgrave, said: ‘I live near Belgrave Road so it’s quite worrying for me – I just try to stay away from it.
‘I haven’t seen any violence but I see a lot of police around. They could be doing better but they’re trying to contain it. It’s strange seeing it all on the national news and I hope it does end soon.’
Rahul Kumar, 28, said: ‘I’m a Punjabi Sikh so we don’t interfere and I haven’t seen any of the problems there have been around here. I think the problems are worse in Highfields – I don’t think it’s too bad around here in Belgrave.’
In a tweet yesterday afternoon, Leicestershire Police said: ‘The impact of the disorder on our communities is not acceptable. Thank you to all who are working to reduce tensions. We will not tolerate violence or disorder in our city.’
A further tweet added there would be ‘proactive patrols in the East Leicester area’ and people were urged to call the police with any information about the disorder. The police can be contacted on 101 or on 999 in an emergency.
Ms Webbe said constituents had told her trouble had been simmering for months.
She published on Twitter a letter she sent to Leicestershire Police’s temporary chief constable Rob Nixon on September 1, well before last weekend’s violence.
Urging police to stay vigilant, she detailed ‘serious concerns’ of residents, afraid to leave their homes at night, after reports of violence in the Belgrave area of the city, after India’s victory over Pakistan, in the Asia Cup cricket match, on August 28.
Days later, on September 14, Ms Webbe, again writing to the chief constable, about ‘ongoing disturbances’ and ‘incitement to hate’ listed incidents on September 5, and on September 9, following which two arrests were made.
She said constituents had told her ‘tensions in the community may be more long-standing and not narrowly related to the India v Pakistan’ match, pre-dating that flashpoint by ‘several months’.
Writing before the weekend’s latest incidents, Ms Webbe again warned of ‘the risk of escalation if community tensions increase’, and claimed people were reportedly using social media platform to stoke trouble.
She said: ‘There are reports of incitement to hate being targeted at those of Muslim and Hindu faith, which is being shared on social media to cause fear.
‘Places like Facebook and via WhatsApp designed to ‘entrap’ members of the local community to attend a protest, sparked by hate.’
She spoke of one such ‘protest’, adding: ‘I have no doubt that this fake event was designed to provoke additional clashes and to cause disharmony and distrust.’
Ms Webbe accused those who were ‘spreading misinformation on social media and elsewhere’ of ‘preying on this unease’.
Jonathan Ashworth, Labour MP for Leicester South, called the recent troubles a ‘dark episode’ in a city where he and residents ‘rightly pride ourselves on celebrating our diversity’.
He said: ‘Attempts to sow division including by those with extremist views will fail and are totally condemned across Leicester.
‘We utterly condemn violent incidents on our streets; marches with provocative slogans inciting hate; attacks on places on worship, symbols or religion,’ he added.
‘It has always been the case – re-confirmed from my conversations across communities – that the vast majority of Leicester’s Hindu and Muslim communities are law abiding and continue to enjoy longstanding good relations.
‘These strengths will help us through this dark episode.’
Two arrests were initially made when police said disturbances broke out at an unplanned protest on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Police confirmed at least half of those arrested this Saturday were from outside of Leicester.
Dilwar Hussain, an expert in race relations, told the BBC that although the cricket match may have sparked the violence, it is not necessarily the cause.
He said: ‘I think there’s a lot going on and the thing that ferments the actual violence is rarely the actual cause.
‘There are tensions that have been brewing and there are things that are coming in from outside of this country and outside of the city of Leicester as well.’
Mr Hussain said a changing demographic may have contributed to the tension but said it is nothing the country hasn’t seen before.
He added: ‘I think a lot of things of this nature can be managed and let’s remind ourselves, having studied these things, I have the luxury of looking at these things over the 70s, 80s, 90s and we’ve seen unrest and tension in our cities in other parts of the country.
Video of fights erupting n the streets surfaced Sunday night with police breaking them up
‘I guess the top line message is that we’ve been through this before and we’ll get through this as well.
‘But there are significant changes taking place that the city has to fathom. We have to bring people together, we have to talk through these issues but I think we can manage this and we will get through this.’
Mr Hussain condemned the use of social media to spread misinformation and said authorities needed to work to bring people together.
After being asked if the scenes echoed those of Northern Ireland, he told the BBC’s Today programme: ‘I think the immediate priority and the lesson from Northern Ireland is that the sooner we can calm the tensions down, the sooner we can bring people to talk to each other and remind them that this sort of intimidation and violence achieves nothing. The sooner we can do that, the better.’
In total across Saturday and Sunday, 47 people were arrested including some from other cities
A clip shared online showed a similar police division, reportedly between Hindus and Muslims
Temporary Chief Constable Rob Nixon called for calm on Saturday night.
On Sunday, 18 people were arrested for offences including affray, common assault, possession of an offensive weapon and violent disorder.
Proactive patrols are continuing in the area, with the force describing the violence as ‘unacceptable’.
Mr Nagdi said: ‘We always say the global impacts the local.
‘The start (of the disorder) was the cricket match – it is a country-based dispute.
‘It is usually younger people who are involved in it – hopefully we can connect with their parents.’
Addressing the police response, Mr Nagdi said: ‘I am sure the resources have been stretched and we also understand the constraints they are under.
‘By and large, the police have kept us informed, they have kept us connected.’
The force has asked anyone with any information on the east Leicester disorder to let its officers know by calling 101 or reporting it via its website.
Speaking after the first conviction, Temporary Chief Constable Rob Nixon said:’This quick charge reflects the hard work the officers have put in, with overwhelming evidence against Noronha.
‘The sentence is reflective of the fact that this was a serious offence and he has ended up with time in prison.
‘We saw last night a group of people from other cities come to our city to disrupt and cause harm.
‘We will not stand for this unrest in our city. There is an extensive policing operation on going, acting on information and reports of gatherings and offering community reassurance.
‘Be reassured: we are working to keep you safe and to arrest and bring to justice those that are causing harm in our communities.’
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