Two controversial local figures have sparked outrage after threatening to hold protests outside the homes and workplaces of city councillors amid a year-long bin workers’ strike. Solicitor Akhmed Yakoob and his associate Shakeel Afsar, members of the so-called Independent Alliance, posted a video on Instagram declaring their intention to demonstrate at the private residences and offices of council cabinet member Majid Mahmood and other key councillors.
Filmed on a picket line surrounded by striking bin workers, Yakoob and Afsar urged councillors to return to negotiations and warned that if talks did not resume, protests would be held not only at workplaces but also outside councillors’ family homes. Their stated goal was to apply pressure on the council to resolve the 12-month dispute.
The video has provoked an angry response from elected officials. Cllr Majid Mahmood condemned the threat as “completely inappropriate,” emphasizing that protests should take place in public spaces, not residential areas where families live. Mahmood confirmed he has contacted the police to investigate the matter.
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Unite, the union representing bin workers, also disavowed the video’s message. A Unite spokesperson stated that the threatening remarks did not represent the union’s views and that protesting outside homes is “completely unacceptable.” They further clarified that the workers featured in the video were unaware of what would be said and would not have participated had they known.
Yakoob, widely known for his social media presence as a solicitor with his catchphrases “There’s a defence to every offence” and “Remember that,” recently ran for West Midlands Mayor and nearly unseated the current MP of Birmingham Ladywood on a pro-Palestine platform. His partner Afsar, a property developer and former candidate in local parliamentary elections, has previously led controversial protests, including disruptive actions opposing LGBT-inclusive education in Birmingham primary schools in 2019.
Speaking about the backlash, Yakoob defended his stance, asserting their protests are not meant to intimidate but to demand accountability. “The councillors are not sitting down to speak to these bin men, and they should,” he said. “We want the bin men to get noticed, and for the council to explain why public funds are not being spent properly. We believe that by protesting at their offices and homes, they will finally have to listen.”
The incident highlights ongoing tensions surrounding the prolonged bin strike, raising questions about the boundaries of protest and democratic expression.