Police were called to disperse a group of 30 masked protesters who forced their way into a screening of the Bollywood film Emergency in west London, shouting “down with India.”
The incident occurred at Vue Cinema in Harrow on Sunday night and was captured in footage posted online. The screening of the film, which has been criticised as “anti-Sikh” by some, descended into chaos as the group pushed past staff to enter the St George’s Shopping Centre venue, leaving customers terrified.
An eyewitness described the scene as “chaotic and scary”. She told Metro: “Ninety-five per cent of the audience cleared out while they were intimidating everyone. This was masked men shouting in the dark – we didn’t what their intentions were. It was frightening.”
The eyewitness added that the protesters were part of the Khalistan separatist movement, which campaigns for a Sikh homeland.
The events in west London were the latest in a series of protests against Emergency, a film depicting India’s Emergency period (1975-1977), a turbulent era under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi characterised by political oppression and human rights abuses. The movie has drawn sharp criticism from Sikh groups, particularly for its portrayal of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a prominent Sikh leader. Critics allege that it casts him in a negative light, implying collusion with Gandhi – an interpretation many in the Sikh community view as both offensive and historically inaccurate.
Demonstrations across the Midlands had already led to the cancellation of screenings at Cineworld venues in Wolverhampton and Birmingham, and the film has been banned in countries such as Bangladesh.
Rashmi Chaubey, who shared footage of the incident on Facebook, described the experience as “frightening and intimidating”. She added: “Men with masked faces and carrying a kirpan entered and blocked the exit in a dark theatre. They eventually managed to stop the screening.
“Police said it was their right to protest, but the theatre showing this nationalist propaganda is supporting something that endangers Sikh communities today, justifying anti-Sikh hate.”
If Ms. Chaubey’s account is correct, it’s troubling that the Metropolitan Police appear to have framed this as a matter of the group’s “right to protest”. While protest is protected under Articles 10 and 11 of the ECHR, it cannot be used to unlawfully disrupt others’ lawful activities. Storming a private venue and halting a screening is not lawful protest, but a ‘heckler’s veto’ that suppresses free expression.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police confirmed only that officers were called to a report of a protest at Vue Cinema, St George’s Shopping Centre, Harrow, at approximately 8pm. They added that the group was dispersed, and no arrests were made.
The Sikh Press Association criticised the film, calling it “anti-Sikh propaganda”.
“It displays inaccurate information that maligns revered Sikh figures,” they said in a statement. “Such content perpetuates anti-Sikh hate and stereotypes pushed by the Indian state, demonising a community that makes up just two per cent of India’s population.”
This incident is part of a troubling pattern of sectarian tensions undermining freedom of expression in the UK.
In 2012, the low-budget film Innocence of Muslims, produced in the United States, sparked outrage for its derogatory portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad. In the UK, protests were held in cities such as London, Cardiff, and Bradford, where thousands gathered to express their discontent.
More recently, in 2022, the film The Lady of Heaven, which portrays the life of Fatimah, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, faced significant backlash. Critics labeled it “blasphemous” and “racist”, leading to widespread protests across the country. In response to the demonstrations, major cinema chains, including Cineworld, cancelled screenings to “ensure the safety of our staff and customers.”
The decision to pull The Lady of Heaven from cinemas was met with widespread criticism from free speech advocates, including the Free Speech Union (FSU). Following protests across the UK, screenings were cancelled at Cineworld venues in Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, and other cities in West Yorkshire, as well as in Birmingham and Bolton. Demonstrators accused the film of blasphemy and demanded its removal, prompting Cineworld to withdraw it entirely, citing safety concerns.
The FSU condemned these cancellations, highlighting the dangerous precedent they set. In a letter to Cineworld’s then-CEO, Moshe Greidinger, we urged the company to reconsider its decision, emphasising that capitulating to such pressure risks granting veto power to any group objecting to specific content.
We wrote to the chief constables of West Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Police, West Midlands Police, and Greater Manchester Police, highlighting their failure to uphold people’s right to see The Lady of Heaven. In our letter to West Yorkshire Police (which you can read here), we pointed out that the force’s failure to police the protests proportionately undermined the rights of local audiences to view the film, the producers’ right to artistic expression, and Cineworld’s right to screen it. We warned that such capitulation to mob pressure risks damaging public confidence in police impartiality and undermines the principles of free expression they are duty-bound to uphold.
There’s more on this story here.
