Simmering tension between two religious groups in Leicester has led to a spate of violent communal incidents and the launch of a special police operation – all seemingly triggered by an ordinary cricket match.
A fortnight of “disorder” has followed the Hindu and Muslim communities in the city ever since the 28 August Asia Cup T20 cricket match between arch rivals India and Pakistan, which the latter lost.
To celebrate India’s victory, ordinarily a source of jubilation for scores of avid cricket fans depending on which side wins, hundreds poured into the Belgrave area and chanted anti-Pakistan slogans, leading to violence.
The scuffle led to the arrest of a 28-year-old man on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.
In the ensuing days, inflammatory slogans rung out in the Belgrave and Spinney Hills areas, according to a LeicestershireLive report.
The situation boiled over on Saturday, after a scuffle ensued between Hindu and Muslim men, leaving at least 16 police officers and a police dog injured and “proactive patrols” in East Leicester.
Nearly 200 men from the Hindu community had marched through Green Lane Road wearing masks and balaclavas and chanting Jai Shri Ram (Hail Lord Ram) – a religious chant praising Hindu deity Ram that is often appropriated by hardliners and used as a war cry.
Local officers were scrambled to the Green Lane Road, which houses Muslim-owned businesses and a Hindu temple, while reinforcements were drafted in to stop the unauthorised protest.
Later, a group of 100 Muslim men gathered in response to the other community’s march.
The situation worsened with the help of social media as videos began to circulate of a man pulling down a flag outside a Hindu temple, while another video – whose authenticity could not be verified – showed a flag being burned.
A beleaguered police force kicked off a special police operation, leading to a total 47 arrests and more people being searched in the past weeks under section 60 stop-and-search powers as of Tuesday.
Two of these arrests were made on Saturday on suspicion of possession of a bladed article and on suspicion of conspiracy to commit violent disorder.
Since Sunday, Leicestershire police said there were no new incidents of disorder. “Proactive patrols” have, however, continued in East Leicester following the weekend’s violence.
In a video shared on Twitter by 34-year-old community activist Majid Freeman, glasses could be heard being smashed on the road while police struggled to contain the crowd.
“They were throwing bottles and all sorts,” Mr Freeman told The Guardian. “They were coming past our mosques, taunting the community and physically beating people up randomly.”
A police spokesperson pointed to “several incidents of violence and damage” that officials are investigating.
“We are aware of a video circulating showing a man pulling down a flag outside a religious building on Melton Road, Leicester. This appears to have taken place while police officers were dealing with public disorder in the area. The incident will be investigated," police said.
Dharmesh Lakhani, a representative of Hindu temples across Leicester, confirmed to The Guardian that a flag outside the Shivalaya temple in Belgrave Road was removed while the other was burned.
“I’m really proud to say on that day, when the flag was removed, there was an Imam outside. He said I’m standing outside the mandir [temple], making sure nothing happens,” Mr Lakhani said.
Later on Sunday night, 18 others were arrested for violent disorder, common assault and possession of an offensive weapon among other offences.
Amos Noronha, 20, was sentenced to 10 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of an offensive weapon in connection with the violence, police said on Monday evening.
Suleman Nagdi, from the city-based Federation of Muslim Organisations, told the BBC that there are “some very dissatisfied young men who have been causing havoc”.
“We need to get the message out that this must end and try to do this through parents and grandparents talking to their sons,” Mr Nagdi added.
India’s High Commission in the UK on Monday criticised those it claimed had attacked “the Indian community” in Leicester and had vandalised “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,” it added.
The statement made no mention of allegations of wrongdoing perpetrated against the city’s Muslim population.
