Two men jailed for attack on 'pro-EDL' protestors after Yorkshire demonstration

Leeds Crown Court was shown CCTV footage of a group of Asian men kicking and punching a smaller group of four white men, one of which was draped in a Union flag and wearing a Union flag mask on August 3.

Sameer Ali, 21, of West Park Drive, Leeds, and Adnan Ghafoor, 31, of Spen Bank, Leeds, both admitted affray earlier this week.

Ali was jailed for 20 months and Ghafoor was jailed for 18 months, with Ghafoor being ordered to serve an additional 12 months for breaching of an unrelated suspended sentence.

Graham O'Sullivan, representing Ali, said his client was provoked by "Islamophobic threats and abuse" from the group of white men, including comments like "f*** Allah" and the use of racial slurs.

Jailing the pair, the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl KC, said: "This was a group attack involving in excess of 10 men in circumstances of a heightened state of public concern and anxiety to which each of you have contributed."

It came after a protest outside Leeds Arts Gallery on the Headrow, prosecutor Heather Gilmore told the court. It included “pro English Defence League” supporters, and counter protestors.

Passing off largely peacefully, Miss Gilmore said at around 4.42pm, the group of Asian males were walking along Great George Street when four males appeared, heading in the opposite direction.

CCTV from the street was played to the court that showed verbal exchanges between the two groups before Ali threw punches to the nearest male. He then punched a second and third male and kicked them on the ground. It happened in front of horrified onlookers in a nearby bar.

He was dragged away by another male and could be seen laughing and fist bumping others as they walked away. During that 30-second stint of violence, Ghafoor ran across the road and hit a male three times who was being held in a choke hold.

Both men later handed themselves into the police station.