An application by Birmingham City Council to create a permanent exclusion zone around a primary school in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham commenced in the high court on Monday.

This exclusion zone around Anderton Park primary school has the aim of stopping the protests against LGBT equality lessons. The protests have been taking place outside the school gates since March. 

A temporary injunction was granted in May and extended in June, after a 300-strong protest gathered outside the school gates. Now, however, the protests have begun again with the start of the new school year in September.

The temporary injunction stops chief protesters Shakeel Afsar, Rosina Afsar (who has withdrawn her two children from the school) and Amir Ahmed from taking part in or co-ordinating protests in the exclusion zone. They are also prevented from distributing leaflets and being abusive about school staff and their teaching.

These protests have been disruptive to the school environment. On Tuesday 15th October, the court was shown a video, taken by deputy headteacher Claire Evans, from inside the school nursery and playground. Shouts of ‘headteacher step down’ were audible on the recording.2 

The hearing ended on Friday 18th October, but the judge, Justice Warby, has postponed his decision until a later date.

There has been a 333% increase in homophobic hate crimes in the area, according to figures released by West Midlands Police under a freedom of information request. The figures show that in March 2018 there were six reported incidents in Birmingham East, the area covering the school. In March 2019, the month the protests began, there were 26 incidents. 4 

One first year English and Creative Writing student at the University of Birmingham commented on the protests, saying that ‘outside of a children’s primary school is not a safe, practical or effective place to hold extended, continuing protests. These protests are incredibly hateful and homophobic and the exclusion zone to prevent kids, parents and families from being exposed to this sort of hate speech and rhetoric day nusafter day is a good thing.’