Masked men storm London cinema, shouting ’down with India’
A group of masked men stormed a west London cinema shouting ‘down with India’ during a Bollywood film leaving customers ‘terrified’.
Footage shows the group interrupting a screening of the film ‘Emergency’ at Harrow Vue Cinema on Sunday night.
Saloni Belaid, who had bought tickets to the film, said the men had pushed themselves past staff members and shouted ‘down with India’ after the film was dibbed ‘anti-Sikh’.
She said: ‘It was really chaotic and scary. Ninety-five per cent of the audience cleared out while they were intimidating everyone whereas my friends and I stayed to confront them.
‘This was masked men shouting in the dark – we didn’t what their intentions were. It was frightening.’
Footage shows the group interrupting a screening of the film ‘Emergency’ at Harrow Vue cinema on Sunday night (Picture: Facebook/Rashmi Chaubey)
She told Times of India cinema staff did not come to help, and despite police arriving within 10 minutes they did not stop the group as they were exercising their right to protest.
Saloni said the men were part of the Khalistan separatist movement which aims to create a homeland for Sikhs.
The Hindi film Emergency has been dubbed ‘Anti-Sikh’ with protests also being held across the Midlands.
Viewings have been cancelled at Cineworlds in Wolverhampton and Birmingham.
Rashmi Chaubey, who posted the footage onto Facebook, said: ‘It’s a completely frightening and intimidating experience when 20+ men with masked faces and carrying a kirpan entered and blocked the exit in a dark theatre.
‘They were finally able to shut the movie. Police could not do anything and said it is their right to protest.
Around 95% of viewers were intimidated into leaving (Picture: Facebook/Rashmi Chaubey)
‘It marks a sad day where the right to protest was weaponised to suppress freedom of expression.’
Vue Cinema was contacted for comment.
The Sikh Press Association described the movie as ‘anti-Sikh Indian state propaganda’.
They said: ‘It provably displays inaccurate information which maligns revered Sikh figures. Such content perpetuates anti-Sikh hate and Indian state stereotypes demonizing the community, which makes up approximately just two per cent of India.
‘The theatres showing this nationalist propaganda are supporting something which poses a danger to Sikh communities today, justifying anti-Sikh hate, which is currently a major concern amid an uptake in India’s transnational violence.’
A spokesman from the Metropolitan Police said: ‘Police were called to a report of a group of around 30 people protesting at Vue Cinema, St George’s Shopping Centre, Harrow, at approximately 8pm on Sunday, January 19.
‘Officers attended and dispersed the group. No arrests were made.’
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