MR JUSTICE JOHNSON
Approved Judgment
Hegab v Spectator
26.
By 16 September 2022, groups of Muslims and Hindus were arranging to congregate
in Leicester. A narrative promulgated by a Muslim group was “We going to Land in
Lesta Show these RSS Hindutva extremist not to mess with our Muslim and Sikh –
women, children and elderly. Bring peace back to the area!...” A Hindu group was
also organising a march “to protect our family and worship places. Together we can
bring peace.”
27.
On the evening of 17 September 2022, large groups of Muslim and Hindu men had to
be kept apart by police cordons. Glass bottles were thrown by both sides. There was
serious violence. Some police officers sustained significant injuries.
28.
At 1.59am on 18 September 2022, CVB tweeted:
“These Hindutva thugs marched through the streets of Leicester
with weapons including knifes. They had 6 police officers
trying to control 200+ of them at one point. What a shambles
considering tensions been so high. Why weren’t they searched?
They stabbed a lot of Muslims tonight.”
The claimant’s actions on 18 September 2022
29.
The claimant travelled to Leicester on 18 September 2022, arriving at about
lunchtime. A video shows the claimant with Mr Dawah. The claimant asks Mr
Dawah if CVB could be brought so he could tell them what was going on. He then
made his way to a group of Muslim men, many wearing hoods and masks, who were
facing a line of police and shouting, with chants and responses. Somebody (possibly
either Mr Dawah or the claimant) says “I will tell them to stop causing trouble” and
(repeatedly) shouts “brothers, move back”. The claimant has his back to the police,
and is facing the Muslim men, and is apparently seeking to usher them back. Mr
Dawah says, “if they come to us, then basically we will fight them, but right now they
are not here; we need to be clever.” Somebody says, “you guys are from London, why
are you lot calling the shots here.” The claimant gives a speech in which he said that
they were seeing violence “from the Hindutva in this country” which was inspired by
a fascist ideology which “had its inspirations from the same place as Adolf Hitler had
his inspirations.” He said that there was a battle going on, involving “violent
vegetarians”. Later, Mr Dawah is filmed talking to a man who complains about
corruption within politics and the police (who he said were sponsored by a Hindu
charity) such that “of course the brothers are going to take up arms”.
30.
The claimant posted an image of himself on Instagram, walking down the street with
a group of masked men behind him, with the caption “Muslim patrol in Leicester.”
31.
The claimant made a speech to a large group of men, the vast majority wearing hoods
and/or baseball caps and/or masks and/or balaclavas. One man was wearing a white
skull face mask. The claimant said:
“Who has seen the Hindutva today?
[Man responds: “They are cowards”].