Anti-racism activists clashed with police and anti-migrant protesters yesterday outside a London hotel where asylum seekers are being housed.
Both protesting groups gathered near the Thistle City Barbican hotel in wealthy Islington, north London.
Anti-immigration protesters chanted under the banner ‘Thistle Barbican needs to go – locals say no’, against the use of the hotel accommodating asylum seekers, according to Mailonline.
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 to the streets.
Clashes transpired between the two groups of demonstrators, before police separated the opposing sides, with the Metropolitan Police imposing conditions on both the protest and counter demonstration.
A group of anti-fascist protesters blocked a junction outside the hotel in breach of conditions, with officers being forced to push their way into the crowd to detain several demonstrators, dragging them out by their arms and legs.
Then, the group was moved from the road where officers informed them they were in breach of conditions put in place, before forming a circle around the protesters.
According to Metropolitan Police, nine people have been arrested.
Metropolitan Police said on X this morning: ‘There is an increased police presence in the Clerkenwell area today where a protest against the use of a hotel to accommodate asylum seekers and a related counter protest are due to take place later’.
But by the afternoon, the police force said: ‘Officers have cleared the junction where counter protesters had assembled in breach of the conditions in place.
‘There have been nine arrests so far, with seven for breaching Public Order Act conditions.’
Of those arrested, one was detained for their support for Palestine Action and another for a public order offence.
Seven others were detained for breaching Public Order conditions.
Meanwhile, people believed to be migrants were seen filming and laughing as protesters and counter-demonstrators clashed in the streets of Islington today.
It comes after a coach of suspected migrants was seen arriving at the four-star Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf at around 1.40am this morning.
‘Patriots of Britain’ and ‘Together for the Children’ have also voiced their support for the protests.
A student counter-protester outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel said he wants migrants to ‘feel safe’ in Britain.
