In a joint statement, community leaders among Hindus and Muslims urged for an end to the tension and violence in Leicester. The statement called for Hindus and Muslims to stand together as brother and sister, and that there was "no place for any foreign extremist ideology that causes division".
Part of the statement, as reported by NDTV: "Our two faiths have lived harmoniously in this wonderful city for over half a century. We arrived in this city together. We faced the same challenges together. We fought off racist haters together, and collectively made this city a beacon of diversity and community cohesion. What we have seen is not what we are about. We ask all to respect the sanctity of religious places, both mosques and temples alike," he added, urging people not to give in to "provocation with loud music, flag-bearing, derogatory chants or physical attacks against the fabric of worship".
The police had appealed for calm. "Community leaders from East Leicester are on the ground with officers. All are calling for calm and encouraging people to go home. Please avoid the area while our police operation continues," the Leicestershire Police tweeted.
The law enforcement denied viral social media claims that a mosque was attacked, and urged users to curb misinformation. "We have seen reports on social media that a mosque is being attacked. Officers on the ground have confirmed this is not true. Please only share information on social media you know to be true," the police claimed.
The incidents had first sparked following clashes between fans following an India-Pakistan Asia Cup cricket match at the end of last month, and it had spilled over into “serious disorder”. The police said in a statement: "Officers became aware of groups of young men gathering on Sunday afternoon in the North Evington area of the city. Officers spoke to them and took steps, including putting in place a temporary police cordon, to minimise harm and disturbance to communities."
15 people have been reportedly detained.
The BBC reported that community leaders—including Sanjiv Patel, who represents Hindu and Jain temples across Leicester, and Suleman Nagdi, from the Leicester-based Federation of Muslim Organisations—called for peace and an immediate end to the violence.
