55 arrested following armed protest at U.K. gurdwara

Fifty-five people were arrested on Sunday after an eight-hour-long armed protest in the West Midlands region of England where a gang of 20-30 sword-wielding men stormed a Sikh temple, apparently opposing a mixed race marriage between a Sikh and a non-Sikh individual.

Specially trained officers from Warwickshire Police were still believed to be inside Gurudwara Sahib in the town of Leamington Spa to negotiate with the other men.

Fifty-five people were arrested after an eight-hour armed protest at the Gurudwara, BBC reported.

A spokesperson for Warwickshire Police said: “The report was received at 6.47 am after a group of between 20 and 30 men entered the temple. This is currently being treated as aggravated trespass and at this time we believe that it is an escalation of an ongoing local dispute.”

However, the spokesperson said several of the weapons seized were kirpans, ceremonial daggers that are carried by Sikhs as an act of faith, the report said.

Mixed-race marriage?

The spokesperson confirmed religious leaders in the temple were working with officers to negotiate a peaceful resolution.

Some reports claim the armed gang is demonstrating against a mixed-race marriage, although this remains unconfirmed.

Jatinder Singh Birdi, a former treasurer at the temple, said a marriage between a Sikh and non-Sikh individual was due to take place. “There have been tensions that have been going on for a couple of years with some people objecting to mixed marriages in taking place in the gurdwara,” Mr. Birdi said.