VIOLENCE BROKE OUT at the Whitechapel eatery on Tuesday evening when three intruders ran in and began attacking a group of diners with batons. The attack was filmed by Mr Sushanta Das Gupta and the footage has been circulating round the East End on social media.
The attackers were wearing baseball caps – in what appeared to be an attempt to hide their identity. They are seen to lunge at the diners, while tableware is swept to the floor and broken. In the confusion, two diners appear to run away from the attack. Screams can be heard, as well as shouts calling for someone to phone the police.
The nature of the attack is not at all clear. The attackers appear to be targeting their attack on certain diners, rather than just making a random and general attack – though this is a subjective assessment of the video evidence and has not been confirmed by police.
Despite current heightened tensions in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Manchester and London Bridge, diners and staff appear to be quite calm, treating the incident as a serious but manageable assault – though such assaults are far from routine in Whitechapel.
These uncertainties have led to two kinds of speculation as East Enders discuss the incident on social media. •First, there is understandable concern that this is an attack on what is seen as a Muslim target and is an Islamophobic hate crime. Police have not found any evidence that this was a hate crime and are not treating it as such. •Second, there is a worry that this is some kind of set up – either a stoking of an unfortunate but relatively minor assault into a more worrying attack or even some kind of staging of an attack for some other propaganda purpose.
There is no suggestion that the Needoo Grill, New Road, is in any way involved with the attack, and it has issued the following statement: “The incident happened around quarter past six on Tuesday evening, a man and woman were having meal at the restaurant, when all of sudden a few men with their hoodies on walked in and attacked a particular man with sticks and fled within a minute. Police and ambulance were called in immediately and nobody else was injured. A man who suffered some injuries was taken by ambulance and discharged later that day. He walked back to Needoo later to let us know he was feeling better as we were worried about him. Police dealt with the matter. Business then continued on as usual later in the evening.”
•Police inquiries continue and anyone who has any information should contact the police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555 111.
•Read more about it: Can you help find armed robbers? http://eastlondonnews.co.uk/14237-2/
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