Leicester disorder: why was there unrest in east Leicester as police arrest 47 people, and man jailed

A man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison over his role in disorder in east Leicester over the weekend.

Forty seven people were arrested and several police officers injured after tensions involving young Hindus and Muslims saw unrest in the city.

The disorder which started on Saturday evening and into Sunday morning saw 25 police officers and a police dog injured.

The city has seen no repeat of the scenes in the east of the city from Saturday and Sunday with Leicestershire Police saying on Tuesday there were “no reports of disorder” overnight.

Some of those detained were from outwith the city, according to the force.

What happened in Leicester?

Large crowds had formed after groups of young men began an unplanned protest.

Police reinforcements were brought in to deal with the growing crowd numbers as witnesses claim some men were wearing masks or balaclavas.

Several reports of violence and damage were made to police while a video circulating showed a man pulling down a flag outside a religious building on Melton Road in the city.

Section 60 stop and search powers were made available to police and two men were arrested, one on suspicion of conspiracy to commit violent disorder and another on suspicion of possession of a bladed article.

Police also said they became aware of groups of young men gathering in the North Evington area of the city on Sunday afternoon, and steps such as a temporary cordon were put in place.

In a video statement released on Twitter, Leicestershire Police’s temporary Chief Constable Rob Nixon said: “We’ve had numerous reports of an outbreak of disorder in parts of East Leicester.

“Please do not get involved, we are calling for calm.”

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 the Queen’s funeral to help.

What caused the disorder?

Faith leaders have urged “restraint” after the weekend’s trouble.

While, Independent MP for Leicester East Claudia 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 1 September, 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 28 August.

Ms Webbe said some constituents had voiced fears to her that violence was driven in part by “underlying Islamophobia in parts of Leicester’s communities, rather than an isolated incident”.

Days later, on September 14, Ms Webbe, again writing to the chief constable, about “ongoing disturbances” and “incitement to hate” listed incidents on 5 September, and on 9 September, following which two arrests were made.

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”.

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.

On Monday, the MCB also hit out at what it called “the targeting of Muslim communities in Leicester by far-right Hindutva groups”, “mob-attacks on Muslims” and vandalism of homes and businesses “in recent months”.

Hindutva is a form of Hindu nationalism, it has been described as a type of ring-wing extremism.

However, the city’s Federation of Muslim Organisations (FMO), while urging calm, also called for care in the language used and the dangers in ascribing the trouble to one group or another.

The FMO strongly cautioned against using terms “like Hindutva”, which was “strictly related” to an “extreme” minority because “such terms can demonise an entire community unfairly”.

Meanwhile, 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.

How many people were arrested?

There has been a total of 47 arrests

A 20-year-old man has been sentenced 10 months in prison following his arrest during the disorder in East Leicester.

Amos Noronha, of Illingworth Road, Leicester, appeared at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon.

He was arrested on Saturday night during the police operation in East Leicester.

An additional 18 people were arrested on Sunday night for a number of offences including affray, common assault, possession of an offensive weapon and violent disorder.

Some of those arrested were from out of the city, including some people from Birmingham.

Police say investigations are on going with dedicated staff collecting evidence.

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.”