Does anyone know what's going on in Leicester?

[MrsBennetsPoorNerves]

Reports of trouble in East Leicester. I don't live there but do have an interest in the area. Does anyone local know exactly what's going on? The news reports are pretty vague...

I can't wait to leave the city. As soon as my elderly dad is no longer with us ( as I would not leave him) we will be moving.

I live in a village in Leicestershire and I’m familiar with the city. Leicester is one of the most diverse cities in Europe, and communities here generally get on well, but there has occasionally been unrest in the past triggered by India v Pakistan cricket matches. The Hindu community which lives mainly in the north of the city in the Belgrave area supports India. The Muslim community which lives mainly in the East of the city in the Highfields and Evington areas supports Pakistan. After matches, supporters of the winning team celebrate by driving around town flying flags, playing loud music, sounding their horns etc. To generalise, the Hindu (and Sikh) communities in Leicester are more integrated and more prosperous while the Muslim community are more insular and more deprived.

Cricket may be the trigger, but the underlying issues are to do with tensions between India & Pakistan over Kashmir, and divisive nationalist politicians in both countries exploiting the border dispute for their own ends.

I expect the news reports are vague to avoid advertising if there’s a big fight going on in case others may like to come and join in.

I don't think it's the case that multicultural doesn't work. In the absence of poverty and significant inequalities, it tends to work just fine.

My view is that poverty is the main problem in Leicester. And all of the other problems that are associated with that.

Yes, fair point. They won't want to stir things up.

So if we eject all the minorities from Britain we'll be a peaceful nation? Because white British men get along so famously? Different groups of men will always find reasons to fight each other whether its race, religion, football, cricket, history, musical taste or simply because.

Totally agree.

Why can't they leave their pasts behind, they've come here to start a new life surely

It's always some one else's fault

My view is that poverty is the main problem in Leicester. And all of the other problems that are associated with that.

Why does poverty cause the burning of religious flags and mass fighting on the streets?

Maybe the past is just something convenient to hang in on. I suspect that this is far more about stuff that's going on in the present, really.

@DesertOrchi

Multiculturalism has existed since beginning of time in many different places in the world.

It seems to me that you are excited by the idea of being victimised. What makes you think you are not allowed to express your opinion or that you will banned?

People will disagree with you because there are other opinions about this and because you are objectively wrong. But disagreeing with someone is not the same as silencing them.

You are not a brave speaker of truth just a run of the mill badly informed person.

It doesn't "cause" it directly, but it certainly contributes to people feeling angry, frustrated and hard done by. And that can lead to people looking for someone else to blame or ways of taking out their anger.

Although DesertOrchi's post has been deleted. For presumably expressing their opinion...

What? We vote every 4 years, its just believe it or not, not enough feel strongly enough to kick all the foreigners out of the country. My mum is from New Zealand. Would you want to vote to have her kicked out too or is she OK because she is white? Genuine question 🙂

I don't agree with this. This is about religious hatred. Not poor people fighting it out on the streets.

The tensions in India which have been there for a long time, are not only down to the Kashmiri border and the terrible history of what happened during Partition but are communal in nature and ongoing. The problem has grown in current years due to the BJP's (ruling political party in India) stance of seeing India as a country which should be Hindu. Tension and incident of violence towards not only muslims but also Christian indians have risen in India. This has spilled out into diasporic Indian communities in other countries and I would assume, Pakistani/Indian Muslim communities. Of course, it could be just the cricket- men have been known to fight over sport! But all this other stuff is underlying.

I get your point but on the other hand you don’t tend to see people with comfortable lives and jobs etc (let alone wealthy people) coming out in the streets for a big fight.

My view is that poverty is the main problem in Leicester. And all of the other problems that are associated with that.

I don’t know how well you know the city, but I would suggest that is a simplistic view. Of course there is poverty in Leicester, but the area also has a significant Hindu & Sikh middle class, centred on areas like Oadby. Many professional families came to the city from East Africa in the 1970s, having been expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin. Others came from Kenya. It’s the classic immigrant story, the parents started their own businesses & worked crazy hours to ensure their children went to university and became middle class.

@woodhill Indian communities (and I assume Pakistani) often have strong, active connections with their respective countries and consider themselves part of communities there. They don't leave it behind and become purely British/Westernised. So this kind of tension is very relevant to them.

Sure but perhaps they need to if this is what is happening

I know the city well and I'm certainly aware of the very wealthy middle classes. However, with respect, I don't think these tensions are erupting in places like Oadby.

I live in a very multicultural area, but it's also very middle class. People are mostly educated and live comfortable lives. There are no real tensions between ethnic groups, no cliques, no gangs. These issues tend to emerge when communities are struggling.

The media not wanting to stir things up? There's a first.

you don’t tend to see people with comfortable lives and jobs etc (let alone wealthy people) coming out in the streets for a big fight.

No, they send poor people out to do their fighting for them. That’s why we have armies and wars.

I live in a very multicultural area, but it's also very middle class. People are mostly educated and live comfortable lives. There are no real tensions between ethnic groups, no cliques, no gangs. These issues tend to emerge when communities are struggling

That sums it up though. Multi cultural areas where people are living together versus areas of religious majorities. And Leicester overall might be multicultural, but when you look at it more closely you will see that many areas are not.