Police question London shopkeeper after video of his scuffle with woman sparks protests

A shopkeeper in Peckham, southeast London, was questioned by the police after a video of him appearing to strangle a woman went viral and sparked protests. Sohail Sindho, who is from Pakistan, alleged that the woman tried to shoplift when she was denied a refund.

In the video, shared widely on social media, Sindho, 45, the owner of Peckham Hair and Cosmetics, is seen holding the woman from behind as she hits him with a shopping basket. The customer is carrying some items in one hand. At one point in the clip, the shopkeeper appears to wrap his hands around the woman’s neck and strangle her.

“Get off me, he's trying to strangle me…Call the police! Call the police!... This man just strangled me!” the woman says in the video.

The incident took place on Monday after which the video did rounds on the internet and sparked outrage. The following day, hundreds of protesters gathered outside Sindho’s shop, alleging that his act was racially motivated. Many were heard chanting “you touch one, you touch all” and carrying signs that read “keep your hands off black women”, reported the BBC.

The Metropolitan Police arrested the 31-year-old woman seen in the video on suspicion of assault on Tuesday and later released her on bail. Sindho wasn’t arrested but questioned under caution, the report added.

Denying that he tried to strangle the woman, Sindho told the BBC that the video was taken “out of context”. He alleged that the video was cropped and did not show the whole scenario. According to him, the woman grabbed some items worth $24 and was trying to leave after she was denied a refund.

The Daily Mail reported that the video prompted protesters to block the road and cover the shop’s shutter with cardboard signs reading “black women matter” and “black women deserve better”. Some pasted papers stating that the shop was “closing down”.

Sindho, however, maintained that he was not choking the woman. “No, I didn't. It looks like I am choking her. It's not choking. At the moment one hand was at the back, I was like detaining her,” Sindho said speaking to an ITV London reporter.

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