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.
At about 3.30pm, police said there had been nine arrests, including seven on suspicion of breaching Public Order Act conditions.
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.
Police added that the anti-asylum hotel protest had been “endorsed by groups from outside the local community which is likely to increase the number of people attending”.
Online groups that have voiced support for the protest include “Patriots of Britain” and “Together for the Children”.
The Metropolitan Police said plans were in place to “respond to any protest activity in the vicinity of other hotels in London being used to accommodate asylum seekers”.
Follow the latest updates below.
Key Points
- Police rush in to separate 'brief' clashes
- TV host Narinder Kaur blasts protesters outside Thistle Barbican Hotel
- Met Police will maintain order 'without fear of favour'
Live coverage has ended
21:01 , Jacob PhillipsOur live coverage has ended. Read all the latest stories from the Standard here.
Eight counter protesters arrested outside Islington hotel
20:06 , Jacob PhillipsThe Met Police has provided further details about the arrests from the protest earlier on Saturday.
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.
A 33-year-old man who was part of the anti-immigration demonstration was also arrested for a racially aggravated public order offence.
Several demonstraters detained during protests outside Islington hotel
19:20 , Jacob PhillipsSeveral demonstrators have been detained by police after rival groups gathered at a protest against the use of a hotel to accommodate asylum seekers.
The Metropolitan Police has imposed conditions on a protest and counter-protest outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington.
People believed to be migrants earlier watched the protests from the hotel’s windows, with some waving and blowing kisses as demonstrators chanted and banged drums in the street below.
A man wearing an England football shirt was detained by police after a confrontation with officers.
A group of anti-fascist protesters blocked a junction outside the hotel.
Officers then pushed into the crowd to detain several people, dragging them out by their arms and legs.
At about 3.30pm, police said there had been nine arrests, including seven on suspicion of breaching Public Order Act conditions.
Islington residents protest to 'stand up to the far right'
18:25 , Jacob PhillipsClaire 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 earlier: “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.”
Recap: Londoners 'stand together' outside hotel housing asylum seekers
17:47 , Jacob PhillipsStand Up to Racism protesters have made a stand outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in north London.
Earlier, one of the protesters, 77-year-old Joel, 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.
"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.”
Road reopened as protests clear
17:04 , Jacob PhillipsThe Met Police has said that Lever Road, where counter protesters were positioned, is now clear and traffic is moving freely.
King Square, which was where protesters who opposed asylum seekers being placed in the Islington hotel, is also returning to normal.
The Met said officers will remain in the area to deal with any incidents.
Lever Road is now clear of protesters and traffic is moving freely.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) August 2, 2025
King Square is also returning to normal.
Officers will remain in the area to deal with any incidents. pic.twitter.com/hfv5UpC644
Latest pictures from outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel
16:57 , Jacob PhillipsProtests and counter protests have taken place outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel, with the mood becoming tense at times.
Police were forced to park vans between the two sets of protesters and at one stage dozens of officers had to move aside a large group of counter protesters who had linked arms and blocked the centre of Lever Road.
Here are some of the latest pictures from the scene.
Protesters wave flags and chant opposite hotel
16:48 , Jacob PhillipsProtesters against asylum seekers being placed in the Thistle City Barbican hotel have been waving St George’s flag and chanting 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.
The Islington resident, whose family moved to London from Ireland, added: “They aren’t going to make a community.”
Another protester Chris, from Romford, said he had travelled to Islington “for his children and grandchildren”.
He said he believed some people seeking asylum in the UK had been brought up with different values and don’t respect women and children.
“They have a totally different set of values,” he said. “It’s not the way I’ve been brought up.”
Asylum seekers 'rounded up at targets to fascists'
15:49 , Shaun WilsonAnother counter protester, Sheila, who only gave her first name, said government policy meant that people had been “rounded people up as targets to fascists”.
She added that asylum seekers had been left as “sitting ducks” for protesters.
She said: “The government has put refugees in hotels as they can’t process asylum claims quick enough.”
The counter protester added that everyone should have the right to work.
Counter protesters wave to migrants
15:47 , Shaun WilsonCounter protesters waved to several people in the Thistle City Barbican hotel before the Met Police began to move a group back towards a dedicated zone.
A huddle of around 50 counter protesters, many wearing face masks and with their arms linked, were moved by officers back to one side of the hotel.
Meanwhile, other counter protesters standing next to a Stand Up To Racism banner have chanted “show me what community looks like” and “say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here.”
'It's not about attacking the fascists, it's about standing together'
15:45 , Shaun WilsonJoel, a counter protester outside the hotel in Clerkenwell, said: “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.
"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."
Asked what he thought about the anti-migrants protest, Joel added: "It's all enabled by Nigel Farage. He's a fascist enabler, he enables fascist ideas to come to the fore, and he is now supporting people who want to demonstrate outside asylum hotels.
"And Starmer himself and the Labour Party going on about deportations and small boats. The small boats are only ten per cent of all migration to Britain.
"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."
Pictured: Police officers detain a masked protester outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in central London
15:26 , Sami Quadri
Counter protesters clash with police
14:52 , Shaun WilsonA group of anti-fascist protesters is blocking a junction outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington, north London.
Officers have pushed into the crowd to detain several demonstrators, dragging them out by their arms and legs.
Counter protesters continue to chant
14:45 , Shaun WilsonCounter protesters continue to chant loudly outside the Thistle Barbican hotel in Clerkenwell.
The group chanted “Say it now say it clear, refugees are welcome here” and “Nazi scum off our streets” with many drumming along.
Counter protesters held signs saying “Islington loves refugees” and “smash fascism and racism”.
A small number of counter protesters were also seen waving to people inside the hotel and making peace sings.
Meanwhile, protesters could be heard briefly shouting “send them home” from across the street.
They are quickly drowned out by chants of “we are the Nazi haters”.
More activists turn up for counter protest
14:40 , Shaun WilsonCounter protesters have been moved back into their designated area by police, as the turnout increases in the Stand Up To Racism counter protest.
Officers were forced to push back against masked protesters who attempted to move beyond their allotted zone.
Political pundit Lee Harris criticises masked counter protesters
14:19 , Shaun WilsonI can't get my head around this.
— Lee Harris (@addicted2newz) August 2, 2025
Imagine getting masked-up to protest *against* locals who are concerned about high levels of crime and antisocial behaviour by illegals staying at the Thistle Barbican hotel.
There is something wrong with these people.pic.twitter.com/EXitgTu9iy
Hackney Socialist Workers' Party post message in support of migrants
14:17 , Shaun Wilson#Asyluseekers in Barbican Thistle Hotel, Central Street thank @AntiRacismDay #StandUpToRacism in #Islington today for standing with them today against the far-right and assorted racist scum.
— HackneySWP (@HackneySwp) August 2, 2025
Say it LOUD and say it CLEAR #RefugeesAreWelcomeHere.#NeverAgain pic.twitter.com/Z3utnjwhmf
'Migrants blow kisses from hotel windows'
13:47 , Shaun WilsonPeople believed to be migrants inside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel waved and blew kisses at protesters in the street below.
A man wearing an England football shirt was detained by police after getting into an angry confrontation with officers.
Ben Leo slams masked Antifa protesters
13:43 , Shaun WilsonMasked Antifa have turned up at the Thistle Barbican hotel in north London, calling anti-migrant protesters Nazis.
— Ben Leo (@benleo444) August 2, 2025
Police say there is no order for facemasks to be removed as we saw in Epping last weekend. pic.twitter.com/CCzILIHDG3
Police rush in to separate 'brief clashes'
13:21 , Shaun WilsonA large group of masked protesters dressed in black chanting “we are anti-fascist” appeared from a side street and marched towards the rival group outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington, north London.
There were brief clashes before police rushed in to separate the two groups.
Student protester 'wants migrants to feel safe'
13:20 , Shaun WilsonA student counter-protester outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel said he wants migrants to “feel safe” in the UK.
Pat Prendergast, 21, said: “I want people to feel safe. I think the (rival protesters) over there are making people feel unsafe.
“I want to stand up in solidarity and say that, you know, we want people here.
“We want migrants. We want asylum seekers.”
Protest is in full flow outside Thistle Barbican
13:19 , Shaun WilsonA group of protesters waved union flags and held banners outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington, north London.
“Get these scum off our streets”, one man chanted in the direction of the hotel.
TV host Narinder Kaur blasts protesters outside Thistle Barbican Hotel
13:07 , Shaun WilsonI'm here outside the thistle hotel in Islington..the TINY group of racists opposite look very sad.... pic.twitter.com/8duZC5kAtg
— Narinder Kaur (@narindertweets) August 2, 2025
Pictured: Supporters of local anti-asylum protest group gather outside Thistle City Barbican Hotel
13:02 , Sami Quadri
Pictured: Asylum hotel residents watch as protesters gather outside Thistle City Barbican Hotel in central London
12:53 , Sami Quadri
Pictured: Rival groups of protesters gather outside asylum hotel in Islington
12:45 , Sami QuadriRival groups of protesters have gathered outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington, north London.
The two groups were separated by metal barriers and police.
People believed to be migrants watched from open windows inside the hotel as protesters chanted and banged drums in the street below.
Man arrested on suspicion of attempted arson as hundreds attend protest outside hotel in Surrey
12:06 , Sami QuadriAbout 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.
Watch: Jeremy Corbyn urges supporters to join counter-demonstration in Islington
11:52 , Sami Quadri🫵🏽 @jeremycorbyn says join the antiracist demo tomorrow in Islington
— Stand Up To Racism (@AntiRacismDay) August 1, 2025
📢 No fascists in Islington //Defend refugees
🚨Sat 2 August 12pm
📍Thistle City Barbican Hotel, EC1V 8DS pic.twitter.com/cemHDilsOL
Maps show areas where protests will take place
11:03 , Shaun WilsonToday’s protests have two designated areas where participants must assemble when making their demonstration.
The first shaded area shows the location of today's main protest ‘Thistle Barbican needs to go – locals say no’. Participants will be required to stand in King Charles Square, just west of the hotel on the opposite side of the road, between the hours of 1pm and 4pm.
The counter protest organised by Stand Up To Racism will be confined to Lever Street, south of the hotel, from 12pm to 4pm.
Met Police will maintain order 'without fear of favour'
10:35 , Shaun WilsonChief Superintendent Clair Haynes, who is in charge of the policing operation, said: “We have been in discussions with the organisers of both protests in recent days, building on the ongoing engagement between local officers, community groups and partners. We understand that there are strongly held views on all sides.
“Our officers will police without fear or favour, ensuring those exercising their right to protest can do so safely but intervening at the first sign of actions that cross the line into criminality.
“We have used our powers under the Public Order Act to put conditions in place to prevent serious disorder and to minimise serious disruption to the lives of people and businesses in the local community. Those conditions identify two distinct protest areas where the protests must take place meaning the groups will be separated but still within sight and sound of each other. The conditions also set specific start and finish times for the protests.”
'Say no to fascists' declares counter protest
10:02 , Shaun WilsonIslington Community Independents has issued a leaflet to residents with the headline ‘Say no to fascists’ and vowing to stage a counter protest in support of refugees. The pamphlet reads: “We outnumbered them in Epping, now let’s do it again in Islington this Saturday.”
Attendees of the counter protest include former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, plus members of Islington Trades Union Congress (TUC), Islington Unison, Islington National Educational Branch, Islington Labour, Finsbury Park Mosque, Islington Community Independents and Stand Up To Racism.
Over 1,000 people join protest's Facebook page
09:45 , Shaun WilsonOver 1,000 people have joined the Facebook page of the group behind today’s protest, Thistle Barbican needs to go – locals say no’ protest.
On the page, the group’s founder writes: “I have opened this group after it was confirmed that there has been a sexual assault as well as the continuous sexual harassment to our local girls from illegal migrant men being accommodated at this hotel, as well as the rest.
“When is enough going to be enough, when a child is raped? As let's get it right, there are nurseries, schools, paddling pool park, all within a stone’s throw of this hotel, yet the council/ police haven't notified residents or informed the community, that these, undocumented illegal Men was even being accommodated there, let alone, that one had committed a sexual assault...we had to learn this for ourselves. Protest needs to be done...if you want to keep your kids safe, we need to make some noise and not on social media, but outside the Barbican Thistle Hotel.
“Share this group to those you know locally and hopefully we can come together and arrange a peaceful protest, so that we can show the council, home office and government... this will not be tolerated anymore.
“Woman and children are not safe, that is a fact and facts don't care about feelings. Sexual assaults, harassment, knife crime, robbery and arson are just some of the crimes that are ongoing and have been committed by those illegal undocumented MEN that are being accommodated in that hotel.”
Timings of protest
09:17 , Shaun WilsonThe Met Police has given strict instructions for the timing of today’s protests.
People participating in the ‘Thistle Barbican needs to go – locals say no’ protest have been ordered to stand in an area (King Charles Square) opposite the hotel.
The assembly must not begin before 1pm and must conclude by 4pm.
A counter protest organised by Stand up to Racism and other groups will take place just south of the hotel in Lever Street. Attendees can assemble from 12pm - an hour earlier than the main protest - and it must also finish at 4pm.
41 migrants at the hotel charged with offences
08:54 , Shaun WilsonAs many as 41 migrants staying at the Thistle Barbican have been charged with over 90 offences in the past year.
Algerian asylum seeker Hocine Bougueroua, 34, was jailed for 24 weeks in May after stealing more than £10,000 worth of bags from unsuspecting drinkers in central London bars.
Alem Amiri pleaded guilty to arson in April last year and was jailed for a year.
Hamza Selha, 37, was given a community order and 200 hours of unpaid work after he admitted assaulting two police officers last November, damaging a police cell, racially or religiously aggravated assault and criminal damage.
Tesfit Bayu, 27, was given a 30-week suspended sentence for actual bodily harm in a brawl in June.
Several men have been charged with sex offences. A 29-year-old man staying at the hotel was accused last year of sexually assaulting a woman on a train and attacking two police officers, while a 47-year-old is charged with the rape of a man. Both cases are understood to be awaiting crown court hearings.
Another man has been charged with the ‘intentional strangulation’ of a woman.
When did migrants start living at Thistle City Barbican?
08:25 , Shaun WilsonThistle City Barbican opened its 460-room hotel to migrants in November 2021, after it signed an ‘exclusive use contract’ with the Government. Financial records show the hotel has earned over £10 million a year from the arrangement. The hotel is part of the Clermont Hotel Group.
Thistle City's location in central London was one of its biggest selling points when it catered for paying customers, as it is situated near the Barbican Centre, the Museum of London and the City.
Protest at Thistle Barbican Hotel today
08:23 , Shaun WilsonA protest will take place outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in London at around 1.30pm today, following revelations that more than 90 criminal charges have been brought against 41 migrants living in the hotel, at the taxpayer's expense.
Migrants staying at the Thistle City Barbican are accused of offences including sexual assault, arson, theft, burglary, carrying knives, assault and drug offences over the past three years.
