A man attacked by a masked mob outside a pub in Birmingham has revealed he is heartbroken and ‘not interested’ in apologising.
Sean McDonagh, 51, was punched and kicked in front of The Clumsy Swan pub after hundreds of people – many waving Palestinian flags – gathered on Friday night to keep the Muslim community safe from the rumored far-Right rally.
When an anticipated protest in Bordesley Green failed to materialise, large groups – some armed and many with their faces covered – began storming a pub in nearby Yardley, believing EDL members were drinking there.
Footage shows the moment Mr McDonagh was attacked by a man in a black puffer jacket and balaclava outside the pub, whose doors and windows were smashed as a crowd tried to get in and terrified customers and staff hid.
It is understood he has used ‘offensive language’ and threatened Asians as he walked. The pub insists they will ban him from inciting violence.
People caught up in the chaos criticized the police yesterday for failing to crack down on the gang and for not responding quickly enough to the attack, despite one of the city’s biggest police stations sitting across the street.
Sean McDonagh (pictured), 51, has revealed he has suffered a broken heart and is ‘not interested’ in any apology. But the pub’s landlord also said he would be banned for terrorizing protesters
A Palestinian flag-waving gang stormed The Clumsy Swan after Mr McDonagh was seen pushing him
Videos shared online show a crowd of men, many wearing balaclavas or face coverings, attacking her at The Clumsy Swan
Pubgoers screamed as protesters confronted players outside – before being kicked to the floor on Monday
Sean McDonagh was knocked to the floor and kicked in the head there
Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr McDonagh claimed he had ‘walked into’ the protest after leaving the pub and had no idea there was a march.
After being hit, he fell to the floor and was kicked several times.
Asked if he had recovered, he said: ‘Yes, I’m fine. I just came out of the pub… and that’s it, walking towards them. I didn’t even know there was a march. I have returned to the hospital with a lacerated liver.
‘I don’t know what you know. They call me some things. ‘I don’t even know what’s going on here’, that’s all I can say.’
Members of the Muslim community apologized for the attack on Monday, saying “it is not a true reflection of who we are as a community”.
But Mr McDonagh said ‘I’m not interested’ when asked if he had a response to the apology.
Linda Fogarty, who is the pub’s assistant manager, barred pubgoers inside after hearing angry people were walking into the pub.
The 60-year-old said: ‘I got everybody in, got seats, got customers in, staff got in, locked the doors … all the windows. It’s not good.’
He also told Sky News that he wanted to ban the player he attacked after provoking the group with ‘offensive language’ and inciting violence. He said that Muslims have supported him and offered to pay compensation.
“Once the person came out and was attacked, the majority of the people who were walking stopped, protected them, kept them safe,” he said.
‘The people who were fighting were trying to boot the door in. They cracked the glass, broke the door handle.’
He said the march was ‘better than not’, adding: ‘Most of the people who marched last night stayed behind, supported us, offered to pay compensation and everything.
‘He can’t apologize.’
Crowds gathered at Bordesley Green McDonald’s after rumors spread on social media of far-right protests in the area on Monday.
Masked men could be seen crowding McDonalds in Bordesley Green on Monday
A masked man attended the meeting in Bordesley Green on Monday
The incident comes amid calls for ‘two-tier policing’, with suggestions that far-Right protests have been treated more forcefully by the police.
The claim was pushed by Nigel Farage and Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, on social media site X.
West Midlands Police said it recognized ‘a number of concerns’ with its response and said it was investigating five separate incidents including an attack on a man in his 50s.
A 46-year-old man was arrested separately on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon.
In a statement, the force said it was ‘clear’ there were individuals at the initial meeting who had face coverings and were behaving ‘antisocially’, adding it would be ‘very intimidating for people’. But the force added: ‘Overall, we have received positive feedback on how we handled the meeting.’
That view is at odds with existing accounts in the field. One Muslim community leader accused the police of ignoring the tip.
At the start of the riots in Bordesley Green, Sky News was forced to cut its live broadcast after reporter Becky Johnson was surrounded by a masked group on bikes who shouted and made gun signs at the camera.
Then someone attacked the van with a knife. LBC reporter Fraser Knight explained that he was chased from the venue by a group of apparently armed Muslims and said he was ‘shocked’ by the ‘lack of police’.
The problem came to a head after the Far Right failed to take action, with some armed thugs in the group attacking cars, chasing journalists and then descending on a pub in the Yardley area on Monday.
One person lit a flare at Bordesley Green McDonalds on Monday
West Midlands Police said it was ‘clear’ there were people at the initial meeting who had face coverings and were behaving ‘in an antisocial manner’
Crowds gathered at the Bordesley Green McDonald’s, with some filming on the phone on Friday
The masked group targeting the pub walked nearly two miles from the initial meeting location, with footage showing them blocking traffic. But there is no evidence to suggest the police tried to stop it.
The gang approached the pub at about 8.30pm and one of their number was filmed. “We are showing dominance, asserting dominance over everyone,” he said in the footage, which has been shared on social media.
Naveed Sadiq, a respected figure in the local Muslim community, rushed to the scene and managed to stop the attack.
He had just come from a meeting held by police in Bordesley Green to reassure the Muslim community – and phoned officers he met there to warn them about the violence. He was convinced ‘nothing happened’.
Mr Sadiq said: “We were told that there is no two-tier policing system. I don’t want to sever my relationship with the police, but I have given them a heads-up and they should be here.’
A 24-year-old pub regular, who asked not to be named, stumbled on the attack on Saturday night.
He said: ‘As we have seen from the marches that have taken place across the country, they have been escorted by the police. Now we have a march that has gone from Bordesley Green to here and is not followed. Literally two minutes away is the biggest police station in the area.’
Some members of the Muslim community went to the pub to show their support yesterday. A local mosque, Mr. Sadiq and others have offered to pay for the damage.
