The emergence of “ethnic enclaves (organized by religion)” that caused “territorial tensions and localized majoritarianism,” according to an on-the-ground study into the extraordinary communal violence that occurred in Leicester, the UK, between August and September 2022, is to blame.
Fact-finding in the investigation Rashmi Samant and Chris Blackburn performed research for the Centre for Democracy, Pluralism, and Human Rights (CDPHR) and wrote the report Leicester Violence 2022: The Rise of Territorial Majoritarianism and Hinduphobia.
As gangs of youngsters from neighboring towns went to Leicester to incite violence and tensions, the city of Leicester saw protest marches, the vandalization of Hindu houses, and a temple, all within the months of August and September 2022. Following the attack on more than forty police officers, social media was flooded with calls for retaliation and violence. When the violence escalated, the Leicester police, who had originally dismissed it, had to request reinforcements from London.
The research examines how the communal violence in Leicester may have affected democratic principles and “human rights of micro-minority communities” in a liberal, multireligious, and multicultural Britain.
It examines how the mainstream media and social media contribute to inciting conflict and bloodshed.
According to the report, “by disseminating false information, the attackers attempted to undermine fundamental principles of democracy and pluralism, including freedom of expression,” and “the sustained nature of the subsequent organized attacks that were extremely targeted in nature make it clear that the unrest was not spontaneous by any means.”
