Protests will continue 'until religious group leaves'

Protesters demonstrating outside the headquarters of a religious group at the centre of a major police investigation say nightly protests will continue until the group leaves town, but they insist they are not "racist" and do not want to appear "aggressive".

One resident who spoke anonymously to the BBC said their children felt "intimidated" by the protesters' continued presence at Webb House Crewe, owned by the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL), while another said they were "frightening".

The group hit the headlines in April after Webb House was raided and 12 people were arrested by police investigating allegations of serious sexual offences, modern slavery and forced marriage.

Police said the majority of the protests had been "peaceful" but AROPL said it had been subjected to "arson attacks" after fireworks were thrown.

All those arrested in the raids were released on bail, but seven had interim anti-slavery orders imposed, while 25 people are due in court this week charged with obstruction during the police raid.

Nine people have so far been arrested at what police called incidents of "disorder" at protests outside Webb House. Two have been charged with using violence and threatening behaviour.

When the BBC visited Webb House one late afternoon last week, about a dozen protesters were outside the main gates - some from the Crewe area, but others from Manchester and London.

Many were filming Webb House and its security officers for live streams on TikTok.

Videos on TikTok and local Facebook groups also showed busier protests - often at weekends - during which crowds were being held back by police, while others showed fires on gates and fencing, allegedly set alight by fireworks.

One showed a group of people repeatedly pushing at the gates.

Kerry from Crewe, who did not want to give her surname, said she had attended protests at Webb House because "it's all over the news, it's all over the internet, neighbours are talking [about it], my kids are talking about it".

Protester Ben Parker, also from Crewe, said: "A lot of people think we should leave it and let the police do their job, [but] a lot of people don't have faith in the police."

Anton Johnson, from Manchester, said he had been at "nearly every night" of the protests, which began on 3 May when the police finished searching Webb House and allowed AROPL members to move back in.

He said local people "want them [AROPL] gone, they want them out, they don't want them here".

He said their protests would continue until AROPL was "gone", adding: "I wouldn't call it a religion, I'd say it's a cult."

In a statement issued by lawyers, AROPL said it was "a peaceful open religion, widely recognised internationally as a new religion".

Cheshire Police said it was not investigating the religion itself.

AROPL said "a violent group" had gathered outside Webb House and "attacked it on a nightly basis and shouted allegations showing racial and religious hostility".

A local resident who wanted to be anonymous - because she said she was worried about becoming a "target" for protesters' anger - told the BBC her children were "intimidated" by noise made by the crowds, as well as "fires, fireworks, cars and bikes beeping and revving engines".

She said she was also concerned about the "antagonisation of the police and security staff at Webb House, seemingly to create a presence on social media platforms".

Another local resident, who the BBC is calling Patrick because he did not wish to give his real name, said the protesters "were not being peaceful" because "the language they're using and their overall presence is intimidating in itself, because there's a number of them, they're blocking the street, you have to go round them".

"When it does get heated, the noise volume does go up - but it's the nature of that noise and the underlying tone of that, that can be quite frightening."

Another local resident, who also did not want to be named, told the BBC she supported the protesters, who she said were "a bit mouthy" but "actually quite funny".

"These people are giving up their time to come and stand for something," she said.

The BBC has seen a video from inside a car which some protesters had blocked from leaving the road in front of Webb House, while others shouted allegations through the windows.

One occupant of the car, who did not wish to be named, said she felt "terrified and unsupported by the police who didn't come to assist us".

Cheshire Police said officers attended and issued "words of advice", but no offences were disclosed to officers.

"We don't want to come across as aggressive or intimidating," Johnson said, adding that attendees had agreed to lower noise levels.

He believed their protests would "speed up" the police investigation because the force would want to "get rid" of "the problem" of their protests.

Daniel Tsimbilakis, 34, is due to be appear in court charged using threatening behaviour or words to cause alarm or distress at one of the protests - with bail conditions that ban him from the area around Webb House.

Tsimbilakis - who could not discuss the allegations against him due to his upcoming court appearance - said he "doesn't agree" with the actions of those accused of throwing fireworks or trying to breach Webb House's gates.

He accused Cheshire Police of "two-tier policing", by siding with AROPL, who he said the force "seem [to have] on speed-dial".

Ch Insp Matt Sanders, head of Crewe local policing unit at Cheshire Police, said the force recognised that "everyone has the right to protest" and the force is "absolutely impartial in this matter".

"Our role is not to take sides, but to uphold the law fairly, proportionately, and in accordance with our legal duties."

Police said one man was arrested outside Webb House last month after he was seen performing a Nazi salute and playing "a suspected antisemitic song" from a vehicle.

Parker said some of those who turned up at the protests "do say racist things", but he said "just because one person turns up and says something, that doesn't mean everyone here agrees with that message".

Tsimbilakis said there was no "political idea behind this movement", but he said "the message has been diluted... by outside messages and political views".

Crewe and Nantwich's Labour MP Connor Naismith said he supported the right to peacefully protest but some had sought to use the police investigation "as an excuse for using fascist, neo-Nazi language and imagery".

Cheshire East Council's Labour leader Nick Mannion recently called on protesters from outside the area to "stay away".

Some of those who have been streaming on TikTok have been heard to appeal for donations and have paid subscription options. Others have been posting videos to Instagram and local Facebook groups.

Patrick said he believed "a large proportion" of the protesters were there for social media "just to try and capitalise on a very unfortunate situation for the victims of these alleged crimes".

"They're twisting it for their own gain and it's sickening", he said.

Johnson said some attendees at the protests did manage social media channels "for a living" but he said they were "bringing awareness".

Tsimbilakis said social media influencers were not attending to make money, but were "genuine people with genuine concerns".

According to TikTok, of the videos highlighted to the social media firm, one was removed from the service for violating its policies.

But the vast majority of content from the protests were in the form of bystander, documentary or commentary-style as opposed to content that appeared to advocate for or encourage violence, a spokesperson said.

The platform also does not allow monetisation on live streams that depict real world conflict, including riots and civil unrest, they added.

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, did not respond to the BBC's questions.

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