By Aina J Khan and Mark Brown / The Gaurdian
Police and community leaders have called for calm after scuffles between large crowds led to arrests after “serious disorder” in Leicester over the weekend.
Two arrests were made and a large number of people were searched under section 60 stop-and-search powers, police said.
The disorder was the latest in a series of disturbances in the east of the city that have taken place after a cricket match between India and Pakistan on 28 August.
In Green Lane Road, where there are several Muslim-owned businesses and a Hindu temple close by, a group of Hindu men were filmed marching through the area on Saturday.
Rukhsana Hussain, 42, a community leader, described hearing loud chants of “Jai Shri Ram”, which translates from Hindi to “hail Lord Ram” or “victory to Lord Ram”, from several streets away.
It is a chant that has recently become synonymous with anti-Muslim violence in India, where India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, is under increasing scrutiny for the treatment of minorities, including Muslims in the country.
Majid Freeman, 34, a community activist, filmed much of the disturbances in Belgrave Road on Saturday evening.
In one video Freeman shot circulating on Twitter, the smashing of glass bottles can be heard, and police shout at Freeman to move away.
“They were throwing bottles and all sorts,” Freeman said. “They were coming past our mosques, taunting the community and physically beating people up randomly,” he said.
A gathering of young Muslims in the city was in response to the impromptu march, Freeman added. “That’s when the Muslim community came out and said: ‘We can’t trust the police, we’re going to defend our community
This story was originally published in theguardian.com . Read the full story here
