More than 20 asylum seekers were evicted from Sidcup in Kent after disgruntled locals held a “vile” and “hateful” protest.
The protest occurred after the Home Office housed three refugees in the district last Thursday without consulting Bexley Council. Over the weekend, more refugees moved into the house and neighbours took action by staging a protest outside the property.
A number of residents near to the house on Penhill Road expressed their disappointment with the protest.
Nicky Lennon told local newspaper the Daily Shopper: “I wonder how many of those who turned up to protest had been involved in spreading the message of hate that I saw being shared freely and without shame across social media the previous day?”
Protesters are reported to have chanted “save our children” and “save our streets”.
Ms Lennon explained that she attempted to form a counter-protest, but received “comments from the protesters describing these refugees as would-be rapists and terrorists”.
Anusha Davies, whose mother moved to the area as a refugee in the 1940s, stated: “My mum would be horrified to know this kind of disgusting behaviour exists in modern Britain.
“If you have a problem with the asylum seekers, contact the council or Border Force, don’t stand outside someone’s home with placards asking people who you don’t know to leave.”
The protest in Sidcup comes amid a rise in xenophobia after the UK voted to leave the European Union. In the week following the Brexit vote, the number of reported hate crimes increased five-fold.
The Daily Shopper also reports the Met Police plans to investigate “concerning” remarks made on social media about the newly-arrived asylum seekers.
Stacey Simpson, who attended the protest, said the arrival of the refugees left her “worried for my kids ... I won’t be leaving them to play in our garden anymore.”
Bexley Council leader Teresa O’Neill has since confirmed the asylum seekers have been vacated from the house. She thanked the “Penhill Road residents for highlighting this issue to us”.
In response to the incident, the council has requested a meeting with the Home Office to prevent further properties “from being used in such an unlawful manner”.
Despite the protest, Ms O’Neill was keen to emphasise: “We are a diverse and tolerant borough and I would hope we would all think twice before engaging in rumours that can quickly turn into something more serious.”
