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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Michael Howie

Arrests after protests against migrant hotels across country

Thousands have joined demonstrations against hotels used to accommodate asylum seekers as a wave of weekend protests takes place across the UK.

Around 200 anti-immigration protesters wearing St George’s and Union flags clashed with Stand Up to Racism protesters in Surrey on Saturday, after an asylum hotel in Orpington, south-east London was targeted on Friday night.

Demonstrations under the Abolish Asylum System slogan were also held in Canary Wharf.

Officers struggled to separate the groups as they tried to move the Stand Up to Racism protesters through the anti-migrant crowd in Surrey.

The two groups met on Bonehurst Road near the Four Points By Sheraton hotel, which is used to house asylum seekers, and were separated by lines of police.

Tensions were high before the two groups collided, as anti-racism protesters were heckled by residents of Horley while they marched through the town. Meanwhile, the anti-racism protesters held signs calling for “racist scum” to get off the streets.

A counter-protester speaks to a Stand Up to Racism protester in Horley (PA Wire)

They were met with a torrent of abuse from the anti-migration group, one of whom yelled through a megaphone “you’re all scum and you should be ashamed” and that “this wasn’t about racism”.

Later, the anti-immigration protesters sang songs in support of far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

Three people were arrested – two for breach of the peace and one for breaching the conditions of a community protection notice, Surrey Police said.

This week, at Staines Magistrates’ Court, a man who was living at the hotel was convicted of three counts of sexual assault against three different women.

Qais Al-Aswad, 26, has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced for those offences at the same court on October 1.

Meanwhile, in Liverpool there were 11 arrests for offences including being drunk and disorderly, assault and affray, as a UK Independence Party protest was met by a counter-demonstration.

Dozens of people had shouted "Get them out" and "Save our children" while others held Union and England flags during Friday night’s protest outside a hotel in Orpington.

Counter protesters could be seen holding banners and Stand Up To Racism placards which read 'Refugees welcome, Stop the far right'.

A large police cordon was formed between the two groups and the hotel. The Metropolitan Police later confirmed that no arrests were made.

In the town of Cheshunt, which neighbours Enfield in north London more than 250 anti-immigration protesters blocked an A road and set off red flares.

Rule, Britannia! Blared from speakers as the group protested at the Delta Marriott hotel.

Barriers were erected around the hotel and police were there in large numbers.

Demonstrators voiced fears that asylum seekers evicted from The Bell Hotel in nearby Epping could be relocated to their town after the High Court ruled that 140 migrants must be moved from the site.

A former leader of the far-right group Homeland was seen in the Cheshunt demo, according to The Times.

Protesters briefly shut a road as some carried signs saying "I support Tommy Robinson", "Two Tier Kier" and "Leave our kids alone".

The protest remained peaceful and was joined by an anti-migrant group of women called the Pink Ladies, who have been staging protests outside the Britannia hotel in Canary Wharf, where a fresh demonstration is planned this weekend.

Dozens of people took part in protests in Orpington on Friday night (Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)

Abolish Asylum System protests were also being held in locations around England, including Bristol, Exeter, Tamworth, Cannock, Nuneaton, Liverpool, Wakefield, and Newcastle.

Aberdeen and Perth in Scotland and Mold in Flintshire, Wales, will also hold their own protests.

A separate batch of protests organised by Stand Up to Racism will be held in Bristol, Cannock, Leicester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Wakefield, and Long Eaton in Derbyshire.

In Bristol, mounted police were brought in to separate rival groups in the Castle Park, with officers scuffling with protesters.

Mounted police officers scuffle with demonstrators during a protest by Abolish Asylum System and counter protesters at Castle Park in Bristol on Saturday, August 23 (Ben Birchall/PA Wire)

The wave of demonstrations comes after tensions around the use of the hotels for asylum seekers spiked earlier this week.

On Tuesday, the High Court granted Epping Forest District Council a temporary injunction to remove asylum seekers from the Bell Hotel from September 12.

People take part in the Stand Up To Racism rally near the TLK Apartments and Hotel in Orpington (Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)

Regular protests had been held outside the hotel in recent weeks after an asylum seeker was charged with trying to kiss a 14-year-old girl, which he denies.

The Government then announced plans on Friday to appeal against the High Court's refusal to allow it to intervene in the case, and to then further appeal against the temporary injunction.

A group of other local councils also publicly announced their intentions to seek legal advice as to whether they could achieve a similar injunction for their hotels.

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