Disturbances erupted in Southall, West London, during celebrations marking the end of Ramadan‘s fast, Eid. The usually peaceful area noted for its high South Asian populace was gripped by chaos as celebrants attacked police officers.
Observations from images circulating on social media showed large crowds gathered, with objects such as bricks, pieces of wood, and bottles being hurled at police, some of whom were forced to put on riot gear to deal with the unrest.
“[B]efore midnight a small number of young people — who we do not believe to be from the area — became involved in sporadic anti-social behavior, including climbing onto bus stops,” said Chief Superintendent Sean Wilson, in charge of policing the Ealing Borough in which Southall is located.
“As officers attempted to speak to these people about their safety, they were surrounded by a crowd, again many of whom were not from Southall, before items, including bottles, were thrown towards them,” Wilson said. “Fortunately, neither members of the public, nor the officers were injured.”
Despite the mass violence, only one arrest was made.
Rory Geoghegan, founder of the Public Safety Foundation, noted that the incident appeared to be followed by near-total silence from authorities. “Concerning that there seems to be a total black-out from @MetPoliceUK and local politicians in relation to Southall,” Geoghegan wrote on social media. “Where is the condemnation? Where is the commitment to apprehend those involved?”
The UK has struggled to integrate its large Muslim population. “No-go zones” are said to be a serious problem in the country, and Muslims account for nearly 20 percent of the prison population despite being only 6.5 percent of the general population. A recent study found that almost 50 percent of British Muslims are sympathetic towards the Hamas terrorist organization.
