Hindu-Muslim unrest in Britain's Leicester: Here's what happened

The Leicester police have arrested fifteen people after unrest broke out between two communities in the eastern Britain city. The police took the action to deter further disorder. 

The sporadic clashes that have snowballed into major disturbances started on August 28, when India lost a cricket match to Pakistan in the Asia Cup. 

Leicestershire Police temporary chief constable Rob Nixon said in a Twitter video that the police have had received reports of an outbreak of disorder in the city. He said the police have been given the stop-search powers. 

Initially, the police arrested two people after bladed items were recovered from them. 

The Leicestershire police said they came across a video showing a man pulling down a religious flag on Melton Road. The incident will be investigated, they said.

As per reports on social media, the disorder was sparked by a protest march. Videos surfaced showing police trying to control the crowd. A man was seen pulling down a flag from a religious building in the affected area. Another footage showed glass bottles were thrown and people carrying sticks while police tried to hold back two groups.

They had issued similar orders earlier this month when unrest between local Hindu and Muslim groups broke out after the match on August 28.

Peter Soulsby, Leicester city mayor, said people mostly late teens and early 20s have fomented trouble, and most of them have come from outside. 

On Sunday night, the police said they received reports of a group of young men gathering in the North Evington area of the city after which officers spoke to them and diffused the situation. 

A police spokesperson said: “Several incidents of violence and damage have been reported to the police and are being investigated.

Police said they are speaking to the local population to maintain calm in the area.

With inputs from PTI