Leicester: Fifteen people have been arrested in an operation to “deter further disorder” in Leicester, a media report said.
There was large-scale unrest on Saturday amid tensions involving mainly young men from sections of the Muslim and Hindu communities, BBC reported.
The police said it had been sparked by an “unplanned protest”. Another protest involving about 100 people followed on Sunday.
Leicestershire Police said there had been no further disorder overnight. The force added that all 15 people arrested on Sunday remained in custody.
Leicester’s elected mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, said he and community leaders were “baffled” by the events, saying they had been “fanned by some very distorted social media” and “a lot of people who came in from outside”, BBC reported.
During Sunday’s protest, people congregated on Belgrave Road, with members of the crowd telling the BBC they were on the streets as a result of the recent unrest.
Officers closed the road and some of the crowd briefly tried to push through police lines, complaining they were being prevented from marching.
Later, the protesters walked along Green Lane Road in the North Evington area, followed by officers.
There was also police presence on Humberstone Road, with several nearby streets closed off.
The force 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.”
The police have said they wanted to avoid a repeat of Saturday night’s confrontations, and that dispersal powers would be used to break up any further gatherings, BBC reported.
–IANS