‘We will not tolerate unrest in our city’
VIOLENCE DELIBERATELY DESIGNED TO PROVOKE AND CAUSE FEAR, SAYS MP WEBBE
OUTSIDERS are coming to Leicester to cause tensions among the city’s south Asian communities, sources have told Eastern Eye.
In the past three weeks, police arrested 47 people following violence in the city. Last weekend (16-17), they arrested 18 suspects, and some of those were from outside the city, sources said.
“We saw last night a group of people from other cities come to our city to disrupt and cause harm,” said the temporary chief constable, Rob Nixon.
“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.”
On Monday (19), a 20-yearold man was jailed for 10 months after his arrest during the disorder. Amos Noronha, of Illingworth Road in Leicester, pleaded guilty to the possession of an offensive weapon.
Nixon said, “Be reassured, we are working to keep you safe and to arrest and bring to justice those that are causing harm in our communities.”
Eastern Eye has learned that the city’s Labour mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, wrote to faith communities urging them to keep calm. “We, in Leicester, have built relations which are deeply rooted and very robust,” he told
Eastern Eye.
“We have to draw on that experience now to ensure people
in Leicester remain calm and focused and not allow others to use lies to disrupt our city.”
Claudia Webbe MP, who represents Leicester East, said, “These acts of aggression and provocation are by and large from a minority of fringe elements, led and inspired by extremism and right wing ideology, which is rearing its ugly head in the UK and here in our peaceful city of Leicester.
“Their focus is to incite religious and racial hatred and [actions] are deliberately designed to cause fear, alarm and distress and to provoke a reaction. This kind of right wing racism and fascism has no place in society and the communities of Leicester stand united against it.”
Fayyaz Suleman, Leicester Council of Faiths chair, said, “Leicester has no place for any foreign extremist ideology that causes division. Our message to anyone that sows disharmony between us is clear that ‘we will not let you succeed.’
“We together call upon the immediate cessation of provocation and violence – both in thought and behaviour.”
Keith Vaz, Leicester East’s former MP, told Eastern Eye people are “genuinely surprised and shocked” by the disorder.
In the aftermath of the riots in the north of England in 2001, independent advisers who investigated their causes held up Leicester as the model of multicultural integration.
“It still remains the case that we’re a beacon of multiculturalism,” said Vaz.
“Whatever the trigger was that caused these disorders, nobody knows the complete picture of how they started.
“We need to engage with the communities, address these issues and remind everybody of the huge cultural tapestry that is Leicester.”
Sources in Leicester blamed India’s cricket victory over Pakistan in Dubai’s Asian Cup on August 28 as the catalyst for the violence.
But other reasons, also unconfirmed, are circulating among the communities.
Videos on social media appear to show groups in masks burning a flag with Hindu symbols. It prompted immediate condemnation from the Indian High Commission in London.
“We strongly condemn the violence perpetrated against the Indian community in Leicester and vandalisation of premises and symbols of Hindu religion,” it said in a statement. 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.”
Hindu sources in Leicester said that message was “unhelpful because the violence affects all faith communities, not just ours”.
Muslim civic and religious leaders condemned what they described as “deplorable and atrocious behaviour”.
Jaffer Kapasi, former president of the Leicestershire Asian Business Association, told Eastern Eye, “We must maintain peace, harmony and calm, which we have cultivated for 50 years, whatever the cost. I’m prepared to pay from my own pocket to replace the Hindu flag which was damaged, and I think the whole Muslim community should pay together.
“It’s taken us ages to build those relationships, and we need to make sure everyone’s respected, whether they are Muslim, Hindu, Sikh or Christian.
A spokesperson for Leicester’s Council of Faiths told Eastern Eye, “We are concerned about the escalation between groups of individuals with particular agendas and grievances.
“We urge people to be calm and united against any form of excitement.
“We also call for vigilance and cooperation with the police with any information on the perpetrators.
“Faith leaders are united in our resolve to overcome this tense situation.
“More needs to be done to engage with the leaders of these extreme groups to establish dialogue and come to a resolution. There is no place for this in Leicester and we are confident we will overcome this.”