200-strong mob protests outside Hindu temple in England’s Smethwick, ‘Allahu Akbar’ chants heard

Around 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 (GMT).

Videos shared on social media showed a large crowd of people marching towards the Durga Bhawan Hindu Centre on Spon Lane. Many were heard raising slogans along the lines of ‘Allahu Akbar’.

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 were also reports that a Hindu temple in the city was vandalised and a saffron flag outside it was pulled down by unidentified persons.

Last weekend was marked by what the police termed 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 at the end of August.

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”.