Some Leicestershire officers were recalled from the capital as a result and extra officers have been drafted in from other forces to help…reports Asian Lite News
A group of masked men marched through Leicester with one seen armed with a 2×4 foot piece of wood amid violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims, media reports said.
Fifteen people were arrested during a policing operation in east Leicester “to deter further disorder” on Sunday evening after another night of violence, which has continued to plague the city in recent weeks, Daily Mail reported.
Footage has emerged showing the brewing tensions between the two groups with mass marches showing hundreds of people encroaching upon Green Lane Road – with very few police officers in sight to control the situation, the report said.
Many officers were deployed to London for the Queen’s ‘s funeral on Monday – but the chaos taking place in Leicester has led chiefs to redivert them back to the east midlands to be on hand to deal with any further potential unrest in Leicester.
Temporary Chief Constable Rob Nixon told LeicestershireLive that local officers had previously been deployed to help cover the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II – which is expected to lead to a million people travelling to London to pay their respects to the late monarch.
However, a review was then carried out after violence and disorder broke out again in the east of Leicester on Saturday night.
Some Leicestershire officers were recalled from the capital as a result and extra officers have been drafted in from other forces to help.
Leicestershire Police had a ‘large presence in Belgrave Road’ on Sunday afternoon, as a crowd gathered for an unauthorised protest.
A large number of people wearing masks then attempted to march down the city’s golden mile, but the road was closed and the group was dispersed quickly, Daily Mail reported.
Nixon on Sunday night said there will continue to be a strong police presence on the streets of the city.
He said: “This continues to be a fast-moving situation, linked with a large-scale policing operation. We are still using stop and search powers and any outbreaks of disorder will be dealt with positively. I am repeating my call for calm.”
There were ugly scenes across the east of the city on Sunday night, which began after police received reports of an unauthorised protest involving up to 200 people marching towards Highfields.
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, Daily Mail reported.
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, Daily Mail reported.
The trouble in the city came after a period of unrest between Hindi and Islamic communities in Leicester.
Violence first flared following the India v Pakistan Cricket match on August 28, which led to a number of incidents in the days that followed. However the situation appeared to be calming until last night.
15 Arrested
The count of people arrested in East Leicester violence has reached 15 after a clash broke out among groups of young men on Sunday, the Leicestershire Police said in a statement. The cycle of violence was triggered on August 28 after India won the Asia Cup T20 match against Pakistan. This comes after various videos and reports have been circulating on social media about Pakistani organized gangs seen vandalising and terrorising Hindus in the UK’s Leicester City. The incident follows a spate of violence and disorder in the eastern part of the city.
The violence first started on August 28 after India won the match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022, following which a fight broke out in Melton Road, Belgrave, leading to 27 arrests so far, according to a UK-based media publication Leicester Mercury. Following the incident, the Leicestershire Police assured to continue to call for dialogue and calm with support from local community leaders.
The police while calling for calm told everyone to return home and asked to share the information that has been checked and is true.
After the reports of the clash on Saturday night, the Leicestershire Police Temporary Chief Constable Rob Nixon, in a video message shared on the Twitter handle, said, “We have had numerous reports of a disorder on the streets of Leicester tonight, Saturday, September 17. We have got officers there, we are taking control of the situation, there are additional officers en route and dispersal powers, stop search powers, have been authorised. Please do not get involved. We are calling for calm.” (ANI)
High Commission condemns the violence
The High Commission of India in London on Monday condemned the violence perpetrated against the Indian community in Leicester and has sought immediate action against those involved in the attacks.
The High Commission issued a statement on Monday saying that it has taken up the matter with the UK authorities. “We strongly condemn the violence perpetrated against the Indian Community in Leicester and vandalisation of premises and symbols of Hindu religion. We have strongly taken up this matter with the UK authorities and have sought immediate action against those involved in these attacks. We call on the authorities to provide protection to the affected people,” the statement read.
The cycle of violence was triggered on August 28 after India won the Asia Cup T20 match against Pakistan. On Sunday, a clash broke out among groups of young men in Leicestershire, according to the police statement. At least 15 people have been arrested so far in the matter.
This comes after various videos and reports have been circulating on social media about Pakistani organised gangs seen vandalising and terrorising Hindus in the UK’s Leicester City. The incident follows a spate of violence and disorder in the eastern part of the city. The violence first started on August 28 after India won the match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022, following which a fight broke out in Melton Road, Belgrave, leading to 27 arrests so far, according to a UK-based media publication Leicester Mercury.
Following the incident, the Leicestershire Police assured to continue to call for dialogue and calm with support from local community leaders.
The police while calling for calm told everyone to return home and asked to share the information that has been checked and is true.
After the reports of the clash on Saturday night, the Leicestershire Police Temporary Chief Constable Rob Nixon, in a video message shared on the Twitter handle, said, “We have had numerous reports of a disorder on the streets of Leicester tonight, Saturday, September 17. We have got officers there, we are taking control of the situation, there are additional officers en route and dispersal powers, stop search powers, have been authorised. Please do not get involved. We are calling for calm.” (ANI)