“Allahu Akbar” Chants Heard Outsides on the Streets of Smethwick, Mob Protesters

Around 200 people, many among them raising the cry of ‘Allahu Akbar’ marched and protested  outside a Hindu temple in England’s Smethwick on Tuesday, September 20,2022. Police attempt to bring under control a crowd of protesters, mainly comprising Muslims. The incident comes in the wake of clashes between Hindu and Muslim groups in Leicester last weekend.

200 people, allegedly belonging to the Muslim community, gathered outside a Hindu temple in Smethwick town in West Midlands, England to stage a planned protest on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.

Videos shared on social media showed a large crowd of people marching towards the Durga Bhawan Hindu Centre on Spon Lane. As law enforcement personnel attempted to restore order, some protesters were seen climbing walls.According to a report in Birmingham World, a social media account called “Apna Muslims” had called for a “peaceful protest” outside the Durga Bhawan temple on Tuesday.The incident comes close on the heels of violent clashes that erupted in the eastern England city of Leicester after an India-Pakistan cricket match. There are reports of Hindu temple being vandalized and Saffron flag outside it being pulled down by unidentified person.

Last weekend was termed by the police as “serious disorder” and “significant aggression” as Hindu and Muslim groups clashed in the wake of the India-Pakistan Asia Cup cricket match in Dubai.

Following this, the Indian High Commission in London issued a strongly worded statement condemning the violence against the Indian community and called for protection for those affected. So far, 47 people have been arrested for alleged involvement in the Leicester riots.

Leaders of Hindu and Muslim communities gathered on Tuesday morning on the steps of a mosque in Leicester and issued a joint statement urging calm, peace and harmony. They also called for an immediate end to “provocation and violence”.