LONDON: Gangs of youths — described by locals as Pakistani-origin Muslims — descended on predominantly Hindu areas of Leicester on Monday and Tuesday week to take revenge for a few Indian fans allegedly chanting “Death to Pakistan” following India’s victory over Pakistan in an Asia Cup cricket match.
A police investigation is underway into hate crimes after the violence flared and racist chanting took place in the Belgrave area of Leicester after the match on August 28.
But on Monday and Tuesday large gangs of youths wandered around predominantly Hindu neighbourhoods, some with weapons, including knives. On Tuesday the violence occurred near a Hindu temple.
In one video a PIO family can be heard terrified in their homes watching the violence from their window as they take a video of the gangs wandering around parked cars shouting with weapons in hand. The woman is heard saying “Phone the police” to a man who tells her to close the window.
Members of the PIO community are now writing to their local MPs expressing concern. In one letter, seen by TOI, the author says that Muslim men used the Arabic term “Mushriks”, a term meaning idol worshippers, against the Hindus.
Videos showed groups of more than 50 youths shouting and rampaging through the streets of Leicester, and in one video a line of police blocks the road to stop them.
Shital (55), who lives in the area, said Hindus were being told to go straight home after work. “These people have come from all over the UK. They don’t have Leicester accents, some are from London and others are from up north. They took down all the Bhagwa flags outside people’s homes. People are scared in their homes. The areas they targeted used to be mixed Hindu-Muslim but are now predominantly Hindu since many people from Daman and Diu have arrived,” she said.
Temporary chief constable Rob Nixon said he was aware of tensions in the city, which had emanated from the cricket match, and urged communities to prevent escalation. He urged people not to get involved and said police had identified five people from the first incident after the cricket match and had arrested four people on Tuesday night, two with offensive weapons, when 131 people had been subjected to stop and search. Dispersal orders were put in place across swathes of Leicester on Tuesday night and the force currently has 24 investigators working on the investigation.
A police investigation is underway into hate crimes after the violence flared and racist chanting took place in the Belgrave area of Leicester after the match on August 28.
But on Monday and Tuesday large gangs of youths wandered around predominantly Hindu neighbourhoods, some with weapons, including knives. On Tuesday the violence occurred near a Hindu temple.
In one video a PIO family can be heard terrified in their homes watching the violence from their window as they take a video of the gangs wandering around parked cars shouting with weapons in hand. The woman is heard saying “Phone the police” to a man who tells her to close the window.
Members of the PIO community are now writing to their local MPs expressing concern. In one letter, seen by TOI, the author says that Muslim men used the Arabic term “Mushriks”, a term meaning idol worshippers, against the Hindus.
Videos showed groups of more than 50 youths shouting and rampaging through the streets of Leicester, and in one video a line of police blocks the road to stop them.
Shital (55), who lives in the area, said Hindus were being told to go straight home after work. “These people have come from all over the UK. They don’t have Leicester accents, some are from London and others are from up north. They took down all the Bhagwa flags outside people’s homes. People are scared in their homes. The areas they targeted used to be mixed Hindu-Muslim but are now predominantly Hindu since many people from Daman and Diu have arrived,” she said.
Temporary chief constable Rob Nixon said he was aware of tensions in the city, which had emanated from the cricket match, and urged communities to prevent escalation. He urged people not to get involved and said police had identified five people from the first incident after the cricket match and had arrested four people on Tuesday night, two with offensive weapons, when 131 people had been subjected to stop and search. Dispersal orders were put in place across swathes of Leicester on Tuesday night and the force currently has 24 investigators working on the investigation.