PLEA FOR CALM AFTER PROTESTS

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Plea for calm after protests

An appeal for calm has been made after an escalation in protests against a Muslim charity's plan to turn a disused building into a community centre.

Up to 400 people took part in a protest on Friday night against the proposal for the former Scout hut in Nursery Road, Thurnby Lodge, Leicester.

A charity, the As-Salaam Trust, whose members have been meeting on the estate for two-and-a-half years, looks likely to take on the building.

But some residents say they would prefer the building, which has not been in full-time use for four years, to be developed for the wider community.

They are also concerned about extra traffic the centre might create.The recent protests have been held outside the estate's main community centre, in Thurncourt Road, where As-Salaam's members meet for prayers.

Protesters said the city council had not asked them for their views on the future use of the Scout hut. Some back a proposal to set up a boxing club and gym in it.

Up to 50 police officers – including some drafted in from other parts of the county – were on duty for Friday night's protest, which was the largest so far.

Earlier in the evening, British National Party leader Nick Griffin made a brief appearance.

Later, a number of men and youngsters were reprimanded by protesters for directing threatening insults at people as they left the community centre after prayers.

Maxine Williams, manager of the Stirrup Cup pub, who has been taking part in the demonstrations and attended a meeting with city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby last week, said outside groups, including the BNP leader, were not welcome.

She said: "Our aim on Friday was to bring out the elderly, families and kids and that's what we did. There will still be protests, but that was the big one.

"We've had one meeting with Sir Peter Soulsby and it was productive. We'll meet him again in a couple of weeks."

However, another resident said: "The protests need to calm down.

People don't seem to realise that the atmosphere there has sometimes been really intimidating and some people have been aggressive."

Assistant city mayor Councillor Sarah Russell said yesterday that Sir Peter would be meeting protesters again in the near future.

Meanwhile, she said, the council was also looking at ways of addressing residents' concerns about potential traffic problems.

Councillor Russell said: "We would urge people to calm things down and communicate their concerns at meetings with us. We are listening to them.

"The boxing club people were not at the point where they could take the Scout hut on, but we are working with them to find them a suitable venue in the area.

"There are facilities in the area, including things for young people to do, and we are happy to work with people there to look at other things we could do."

Mohammed Lockhat, As-Salaam's imam, said earlier this week: "If we could sit down together and talk, we would be able to understand each other better.

"People have said they are concerned about traffic, but most of the people would be walking to the Scout hut because they live here."

The Leicestershire Federation of Muslim Organisations has urged the council to continue speaking to residents to resolve the dispute.

Spokesman Suleman Nagdi said: "The issue has been such that there have been outside influences on the protests which have now grown to an alarming rate.

"Our perception is that these outside forces simply wish to destabilise our harmonious communities."

A Leicestershire Police spokeswoman said on Friday night: "The protests which have taken place in Thurnby Lodge this evening and earlier this week so far have passed without incident and no criminal offences have been committed.

"However, police will continue to monitor the situation."