Displaying items by tag: Leicester

After a cricket match between India and Pakistan on 28 August, aggressive crowds chanted hate slogans and began fighting in Leicester in what has since become weeks of violence. By 18 September Hindu-Muslim disorder had escalated, with violent acts against places of worship and people of faith. Many say the increasing influence of Indian politics (the BJP) and underlying social-economic tensions are being intensified by radical groups. On 20 September 47 people were arrested after masked men protested outside a Hindu temple. Riot police with helmets and shields attempted to move them on as protesters threw firecrackers and bottles. Amos Noronha, 20, was jailed for ten months for possession of an offensive weapon in connection with the violence. People are frightened to leave home; some factory workers have downed tools to go home and protect their families. Some are fearful of neighbours they’ve grown up with. See also

In much of the world, coronavirus lockdowns are easing. In the UK some normality is returning with the reopening of businesses and public spaces. However, the four countries are at different stages of lockdown, as politicians in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland take diverse approaches from their English counterparts. At the same time the coronavirus threat is still very real. On 15 July Public Health England data showed there have been 291,911 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK and 45,053 associated deaths. Pray for a spirit of peace, prosperity and safety to rest on our streets as the new normality emerges. Pray also for God's wisdom to flow through Parliament, the Cabinet, MPs, civil servants and advisors. Also pray for the safety of people in Leicester who have to endure a second lockdown of shops and schools and reinstated shielding measures.

‘Looks like everyone in the UK is breaking the lockdown rules, then?’ said a person living in France in late May. In June, UK social media were ablaze with images of packed beaches and street parties. While we follow the developments of the pandemic in the UK, many of our conversations have included judgmental comments about other countries. Now a full local lockdown has had to be imposed in Leicester because of increased coronavirus cases; non-essential shops and most schools have been closed again. The loosening of restrictions for pubs and restaurants will also not take place there. See