This is the shocking moment a violent brawl erupts outside a kebab shop in Bradford after Pro-Palestine protestors stormed the restaurant demanding the owner boycott Coca-Cola.
Salahudin Yusuf, owner of the popular Salah’s on Leeds Road, was reportedly left needing stitches last night after being assaulted by members of a group comprising of up to 50 people, a close friend said.
Shocking footage captured during the confrontation shows a mob draped in Palestinian flags gathering outside the establishment before violent shouts begin to ring out.
The situation appears to escalate as a man comes out of the restaurant to confront the protestors.
A group then begin fighting as they attempt to hit the man with sticks and the wooden ends of their protest flags.
Panicked shouts of ‘guys, guys calm down’, can be heard in the background as the situation becomes even more hostile.
Four men were reportedly arrested with reports of people assaulted and windows damaged.
Other footage appears to show the group shouting expletives and smashing the windows from outside the takeaway.
Mirban, a close friend of the owner, said the protestors gathered outside the shop to demand the boycott of Coca-Cola.
According to Friends Of Al-Aqsa, a UK-based NGO: ‘Coca-Cola operates on stolen Palestinian land and is therefore directly profiting from Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid in Palestine.’
Mirban told the FtLion that the mob were saying on loud speaker that ‘they sell coke from underneath the counter and we’ve warned them multiple times’.
He added how members from the rowdy crowd – who he believed to be ‘predominantly Muslim’ – were threatening to stop them selling the product.
This is despite Salah’s reportedly removing the product ‘two months ago’, he said.
The friend described the group as ‘cowards’, made up of ‘some women who shouted abuse’.
It was at this point that the ‘men came forward and carried out an attack’ like ‘the cowards that they were’.
He said: ‘He was defending his business. They’ve approached on to his business and carried out the assault outside the shop,’ during which the ‘owner was hurt and suffered stitches to his lip’.
Following the incident, four men – aged 30, 34, 46 and 50 – have been arrested, West Yorkshire Police confirmed.
They were arrested on suspicion of offences including criminal damage, assault, affray and possession of an offensive weapon.
Police have also said they will be maintaining an increased presence in the area.
A spokesperson for the force said: ‘At 7.06pm last night, police were called to a disturbance at Salah’s takeaway, in Leeds Road, Bradford, with reports of damage being caused to a window and people assaulted.
‘Officers attended and established that the incident appeared to arise from a pro-Palestine protest involving a group outside the premises.
‘Four men, aged 30, 34, 46 and 50, have been arrested in relation to the incident on suspicion of offences including criminal damage, assault, affray and possession of an offensive weapon.
‘There were no serious injuries caused.
‘Detectives from Bradford District CID are continuing to carry out enquiries into the incident.
‘Officers from the local neighbourhood policing team have been made aware and will be maintaining an increased presence in the area and are keeping key community representatives updated.’