Muslim vigilante gang attacks ‘could escalate’, police warn

Vigilante gang attacks could escalate into violence and unrest, police have warned, as Islamic extremists vowed to protect “Muslim areas” from those who “disobey God”.

Scotland Yard detectives investigating a series of incidents that were filmed and posted on YouTube are also looking into an assault on a man in his 20s after vigilantes confronted white revellers in Shoreditch, east London.

Police have stepped up patrols in the area amid fears the incidents could escalate further and cause unrest in communities.

Five people have been arrested, including two teenagers, after a group calling itself the Muslim Patrol posted footage showing a gang hurling abuse at a homosexual man and described white women as “naked animals with no self–respect”.

In a separate incident in the early hours of January 6, vigilantes assaulted a white man in his 20s in what police described as a “hate crime”.

Detective Chief Inspector Wendy Morgan, who is overseeing the Metropolitan police’s investigation into the incidents, told The Sunday Times: “The question has been asked ‘Are we worried about escalation?’

“Obviously, we are. We don’t want any unnecessary unrest in the community.”

The behaviour was condemned by Muslim leaders.

The footage showed members of an Islamic “vigilante” group hurling homophobic abuse at a man who was walking by himself in Whitechapel, east London, and telling him to leave their “Muslim area”.

Hooded thugs shout at the man, who appears to be wearing make–up, before one tells him: “Mate, don’t you know this is a Muslim area. What’s wrong with your face?” Another then shouts: “This is a Muslim area. Get out of here. You can’t stay round here any more.”

The same gang apparently uploaded another video called The Truth About Saturday Night, in which white women were described as “naked animals with no self–respect”.

In a statement, the East London Mosque said: “These actions are utterly unacceptable and clearly designed to stoke tensions and sow discord. We wholly condemn them.”

In total, five people have been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and public order offences.

On January 20, a 22-year-old was held in Acton, west London, and released on bail until March 12.

The following day, a 19-year-old was arrested after he went to an east London police station and was bailed until March 11.

On January 24 two men aged 25 and 29 were arrested and have been bailed pending further enquiries. A 17-year-old boy arrested in Walthamstow, east London, has also been bailed to a later date.

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