Self-styled 'patriots' film Indian students being told to leave Chelmsley Wood park

Mixed · 2A group calling itself the Chelmsley Wood Patriots filmed itself confronting young men who said they were Indian students in a park in the Chelmsley Wood area near Birmingham, and told them to stay away. 1 2 Mixed · 2In a video since deleted from the group's page, one member asked the students what made them come to England; a student said they usually lived in Birmingham and had moved to the area that day, and another said he was in England for a Master's degree and had been there two years. 1 2 Mixed · 2A member then gave a "final warning", telling them not to be seen at the children's park again and to "go home". 1 2

Left · 1The group said on Facebook that it was patrolling because of missing children and reported rapes in the area, and that it approached the men after finding them in the park in the dark, including two more near the toilets. 1 Mixed · 2It said the men gave differing explanations, such as that they were "exploring", that it asked them to leave politely, and that parks are for children and family units. 1 2 Left · 1Locals and anti-racism activists accused the group of approaching people based on their ethnicity, and Solihull Green Party condemned the harassment and said it was trying to trace the students to check on their welfare. 1

Mixed · 2Shesh Sheshabhatter, described by Metro as a Green council candidate and by the Times of India as a former councillor and community activist, told BirminghamLive the students had done nothing wrong, were targeted only because of "the colour of their skin", and that the group was tarnishing Chelmsley Wood's reputation. 1 2 Mixed · 2West Midlands Police said it was aware of the reports and that a "measured and appropriate policing response" was under way. 1 2 Centre · 1Solihull Police Inspector Jenny Willetts said stop-and-search powers belong only to police acting under specific legal provisions such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, that police do not endorse, condone or encourage the group or work with its members, and that action would follow if a crime was reported. 2

Left · 1Metro placed the incident alongside other tensions around migration, noting a coach company, BM Coaches, stopped providing vehicles for Home Office jobs on 7 October after its drivers suffered abuse and protests. 1