Nine arrests as protesters clash outside Islington asylum hotel

Yahoo

3 hours ago

Nine people have been arrested after protests erupted outside a hotel in north London as rival groups faced off over its continued use to accommodate asylum seekers.
Police were forced to intervene after brief clashes broke out between both groups outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington.
A large group of masked protesters dressed in black and chanting 'we are anti-fascist' marched from a side street towards the main demonstration, prompting officers to rush in and separate the two sides.
Meanwhile, people believed to be migrants were seen watching from hotel windows as chants and drumming continued in the street below.
The Met Police said there had been nine arrests, including seven on suspicion of breaching Public Order Act conditions.
The force said a 33-year-old man who was part of the anti-immigration demonstration was also arrested for a racially aggravated public order offence.
A further eight counter-protesters were also arrested.
A 22-year-old woman was arrested for expressing support for Palestine Action.
A further three men, aged 30, 21 and 28, and three women, aged 43, 33 and 21, were arrested for breaching the Public Order Act conditions in place.
A 21-year-old man was arrested for breaching the Public Order Act conditions in place, as well as two cases of assaulting an emergency worker.
The Met Police had earlier imposed strict conditions on both the protest and counter-demonstration and increased their presence.
The force said the protest against the use of the Islington hotel was organised by local residents under the banner 'Thistle Barbican needs to go – locals say no'.
A counter protest, organised by Stand Up To Racism and supported by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, as well as other groups including Finsbury Park Mosque and Islington Labour Party, also took place.
Claire Ogley was one of the many Islington residents who joined the Stand Up to Racism protest outside the Thistle City Barbican hotel.
The 31-year-old told the Standard: 'I live in Islington. I wanted to show support as a local resident.
'It's really important to stand up to the far right when they come out. We have a message that migrants are not a problem, they are not a threat to us.
'They are welcome. It's not an issue to have migration. I wanted to stand up for that locally.'
The protester added: 'We saw the riots on the street a year ago. It is really frightening to see.
'There is a really worrying trend of increasing populism, trying to divide people and stoke up hatred.'
Joel, who was also part of the same protest, also told the Standard: 'Islington is a multicultural area of London. The fascists want to intimidate people and they want to come down and say asylum seekers are the root cause of all the problems of the world, but it's not the case.'
The 77-year-old added: "We want to show that the racists [and] the fascists are out there to intimidate people. We have to stand together.
"We always need more people [to protest], we have to give confidence to people that we are a multicultural city.
'Without the input of people from all over the world, the fashion industry, the food - all the elements of London would be nothing without people from all parts of the world."
He added: "I'm proud to live in London, we want to see more people [who] will be welcome. It's not about attacking the fascists, it's about standing together.'
Protesters against asylum seekers being placed in the Thistle City Barbican hotel had waved St George's flag and chanted across the street from the building.
Susie Luke, who has lived in the Clerkenwell area her whole life, told the Standard: 'Our communities are struggling.
'People are living in the block of flats opposite on food stamps, watching people live over there for free.'
Ms Luke also raised concerns about crime in the area increasing, claiming that her friend was followed home and a young man had a chain ripped from around his neck outside the hotel.
A large group of masked protesters dressed in black, chanting 'we are anti-fascist' had appeared from a side street and marched towards the rival group outside the hotel during the protests.
There were brief clashes before police rushed in to separate the two groups.
Online groups that have voiced support for the protest include 'Patriots of Britain' and 'Together for the Children'.
The Metropolitan Police said on Friday that plans were in place to 'respond to any protest activity in the vicinity of other hotels in London being used to accommodate asylum seekers'.
There were also posts online advertising a 'for our children, for our future' protest in Newcastle on Saturday outside The New Bridge Hotel.
A 'stop the far right and fascists in Newcastle' counter-protest had been organised by Stand Up To Racism at the nearby Laing Art Gallery.
In a statement, the organisers of the counter protest said: 'Yet again far-right and fascist thugs are intent on bringing their message of hate to Newcastle. They aim to build on years of Islamophobia, anti-migrant sentiment and scapegoating.
'In Epping and elsewhere recently we have already seen intimidation and violence aimed at refugees, migrants and asylum seekers.
'Newcastle, like the rest of the North East, has a well-earned reputation for unity in the face of those who seek to divide us. Whatever problems we face, racism and division are not the answer.'
On Saturday evening, a spokesperson for Northumbria Police said: 'The safety of the public is our utmost priority and when we became aware of a protest planned in Newcastle today, we ensured we had an increased presence in the city to deliver a proportionate policing response.
'While the activity mainly passed without incident, disappointingly, four people were arrested in connection with public order offences.
'All four remain in police custody.
'The right to lawful protest is a key part of any democracy, which the police uphold.
'However, we will not accept people using them as a means to commit crime or disorder.'
About 100 people attended a protest outside the Stanwell Hotel in Spelthorne, Surrey, on Friday evening, during which a packet of lit firelighters was thrown at police, Surrey Police said.
A man was arrested on suspicion of attempted arson and inquiries are ongoing to trace another suspect, the force said.
Officers also arrested a man on suspicion of conspiracy to commit violent disorder and aggravated trespass following a protest at the same location on Thursday evening.