Fifty-five people were arrested today after an eight-hour-long armed protest in the West Midlands region of England where a gang of 20-30 sword-wielding men stormed a Sikh temple, apparently opposing a mixed race marriage between a Sikh and a non-Sikh couple.

Specially trained officers from Warwickshire Police are still believed to be inside Gurudwara Sahib in the town of Leamington Spa to negotiate with the other men.

A spokesperson for Warwickshire Police said: “The report was received at 6.47 am after a group of between 20 and 30 men entered the temple. This is currently being treated as aggravated trespass and at this time we believe that it is an escalation of an ongoing local dispute.”

“We believe that some of the men are in possession of bladed items and as such armed officers have been deployed to the scene. Officers are inside the temple to negotiate a peaceful resolution,” the spokesperson said.

However, the spokesperson said several of the weapons seized were kirpans, ceremonial daggers that are carried by Sikhs as an act of faith, the report said.

“We would like to reassure people that this is not being treated as a terrorist incident,” he added.

The spokesperson confirmed religious leaders in the temple were working with officers to negotiate a peaceful resolution.

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