Fifteen people have been arrested following 'disgraceful' scenes at a protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers. A police van was set on fire and fireworks were thrown at officers in Knowsley, Merseyside.
Merseyside Police have revealed that officers made 15 arrests, with a 13-year-old boy among those being held. Thirteen men and two women, aged between 13 and 54 and mainly from the Knowsley area, are being questioned on suspicion of violent disorder following the demonstration outside the Suites Hotel last night.
A police officer and two members of the public suffered minor injuries after trouble flared following the initially peaceful protest. Lit fireworks were thrown at officers and a police van was attacked by protesters using hammers and then set alight, a spokesman for the force said.
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Asylum seeker Ahmed, who did not want to give his second name, told the PA news agency that he had watched the protest from the window of the hotel. Ahmed, a teacher who came to the country one month ago from Egypt, said: "I was afraid. We came to the UK for safety."
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said that prior to the protest 'rumours and misinformation' had been circulated on social media following reports of an incident in Kirkby last week, where a man made inappropriate advances towards a teenage girl.
She said: "Following inquiries, a man in his 20s was arrested on Thursday in another part of the country on suspicion of a public order offence. A file was submitted to the CPS and on their advice he was released with no further action."
She added: "Violence is not the way to resolve this and we know that those involved in the violent activity last night used this as an excuse to commit violence and intimidate members of the public, who have a right to live their lives in peace and without fear."
Assistant Chief Constable Paul White added: "Thankfully we have not had any serious injuries reported up to this point, but for officers and police vehicles to be damaged in the course of their duty protecting the public is disgraceful."
It is understood a number of far-right groups were involved in organising the protest. Labour MP for Knowsley, Sir George Howarth, said he had referred an alleged incident posted on social media, which he said had 'triggered' the protest, to police.
Alan Marsden, 59, from Stockbridge Village, told PA that he attended the protest after seeing the allegations 'on TikTok and online' but left when it became clear it was not peaceful. He said: "It was bad. Kids with masks and balaclavas on turned up. There were 300 or 400 people here.
"It was mostly women and children until all the hooligans turned up." Police remained outside the hotel today, which has been used to accommodate asylum seekers since January last year.
Sir George said: "The people of Knowsley are not bigots and are welcoming to people escaping from some of the most dangerous places in the world in search of a place of safety. Those demonstrating against refugees at this protest tonight do not represent this community."
Clare Moseley, founder of refugee charity Care4Calais, was among those who witnessed the shocking violence. She said she was one of up to 120 people from pro-migrant groups who went to the scene in reaction to the protest to show support for the asylum seekers.
She told PA: "I’m trying to get in touch with some of the poor men in that hotel, I can only imagine how frightened they are. It was like a war zone."
Knowsley Council leader Graham Morgan said he was 'saddened and concerned' by the violent clashes outside the hotel. He added: "The behaviour of those involved was totally unacceptable and has put safety of the local community, police officers and our emergency services on the scene at risk. My message to the rest of our community is one of reassurance.
"This kind of behaviour is not welcome here and we will not let the wicked and mindless acts of a small minority destroy our community spirit and willingness to support others when in need." A spokesman for the Home Office said: "The scenes outside the hotel and violence toward police officers last night by a group of people in Merseyside were totally unacceptable.
"We are working closely with Merseyside Police and partners on the ground to ensure the safety of those in our care and the wider community."
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