The Bishop of Southampton, Rhiannon King, visited the Sikh community on Wednesday alongside colleagues from the Church of England and the Southampton Council of Faiths to show solidarity.
“What happened back in December is a one-off knife crime – a horrific thing. It doesn’t reflect and it shouldn’t reflect badly at all on the Sikh community,” she said.
She described the protests as “absolutely horrific” and said violence could never correct violence.
“What you saw last night is not Southampton,” she said. “Southampton is an amazing place full of amazing people and we have a reputation for centuries of welcoming people from all over the world and living very comfortably together.”
Satvir Kaur, the Sikh MP for Southampton Test, visited members of the community affected by the protests.
“I was talking to a mum earlier who’s now worried about her children leaving the house,” she said.
“What is never justified and what is never the solution is violence and disorder.”