Leeds woman subjected to monkey gestures 'no longer feels welcome' in her own city
A woman who was subjected to vile monkey gestures during a far-right demonstration in Leeds has said she “no longer feels welcome” in her home city.
The Leeds-born woman told a court of her struggles since she was mocked by racist thug Jordan Plain.
Plain was jailed for eight months at Leeds Crown Court yesterday after he was filmed making the sick gestures towards the black woman on The Headrow.
English Defence League supporters gathered outside Leeds Art Gallery on August 3, as did anti-fascist groups. They were separated by barriers put in place by police, but the opposing sides verbally taunted each other.
Reading out her victim impact statement in court, the university student said: “Many people have defended Jordan for what he did to me and said it was right. It was not.
“Protests have happened many times in Leeds, but this is one of the most significant due to the things Jordan did as well as the things that were shouted.
“I was born in Leeds and have lived here my whole life. It is such a beautiful diverse city, but after the weekend’s events, I don’t even feel welcome in my own home.
“I have never experienced racism and Islamophobia on this level in my life. I have honestly never experienced racism on this level in my whole life and it was embarrassing as so many people were there.
“I have a fear of going into the city centre or even just speaking out on this, as I have already received so much hate from people who agree with what Jordan did to me.”
Footage was played to the court which showed 30-year-old Plain, of Broadway, Horsforth, making monkey gestures and sounds, shouting “rubber lips” as a racial slur and chanting “EDL, EDL”.
Some also took off their shirts and wrapped them around their heads, mocking the Muslim hijab, and Plain pretended to pray like a Muslim.
He admitted he had previously used cocaine and that he had been drinking on that day.
Mitigating, Michael Walsh said: “He knows he was completely in the wrong and makes no suggestion there was any justification for his actions.”
The judge, the Recorder of Leeds, Guy Kearl KC, told Plain: “You climbed on a barrier and made monkey noises and gestures.
“It was grossly offensive. Racist language and behaviour. Your conduct and that of your group was designed to stir up racial hatred.”
Plain was the last of four defendants to be jailed at Leeds Crown Court on Friday.
Two Asian men were jailed for their part in the disorder, having attacked men draped in Union Jack flags, while a third Leeds man was also jailed for posting racially-motivated comments on Facebook.