MIGRANT hotel protests have continued across multiple UK cities today – with an estimated 27 demonstrations set to take place over the bank holiday weekend.
It comes after the High Court granted Epping Forest District Council a temporary injunction to remove asylum seekers from the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, from September 12.
Andy Kelvin / KelvinmediaAround 300 people gathered at the Ambrose Lloyd Centre to protest[/caption]
PAPeople demonstrating at an Abolish Asylum System protest outside the Radisson Hotel in Perth[/caption]
GettyProtesters outside the migrant hotel in Horley, Surrey[/caption]
GuzelianSt George’s and Union Jack flags are prevalent among protesters[/caption]
Andy Kelvin / KelvinmediaHundreds of people gathered at the Ambrose Lloyd Centre in Mold, North Wales, to protest[/caption]
It comes as Labour MP Steve Yemm urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to copy Donald Trump’s hardline crackdown on illegal migration and consider Rwanda-style deportations.
Demonstrations under the Abolish Asylum System slogan were being held in major towns and cities around England, including Bristol, Exeter, Tamworth, Cannock, Nuneaton, Liverpool, Wakefield, Newcastle, Horley in Surrey and Canary Wharf in central London.
Aberdeen and Perth in Scotland and Mold in Flintshire, Wales, were also holding protests.
A separate batch of protests were organised by Stand Up to Racism in Bristol, Cannock, Leicester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Wakefield, Horley and Long Eaton in Derbyshire.
In Bristol, mounted police were brought in to separate rival groups in the Castle Park.
In Horley, around 200 anti-immigration protesters draped in St George and Union flags and roughly 50 Stand Up to Racism protesters were seen in Bonehurst Road.
In Horley, around 200 anti-immigration protesters draped in St George and Union flags clashed with roughly 50 Stand Up to Racism protesters in Bonehurst Road.
The anti-racism protesters chanted “say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here”, and held signs calling for solidarity and to “stop deportations”.
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 “this wasn’t about racism”.
The two groups almost came together in the early afternoon, with lines of police separating them.
The Stand Up to Racism protesters were shepherded into a smaller area as they continued to chant “no hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here”, which were met with “no they’re f****** not” from the other side of the street.
Saturday’s events come amid continued tension around the use of the hotels for asylum seekers.
On Tuesday, the High Court granted Epping Forest District Council a temporary injunction to remove asylum seekers from the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, from September 12.
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 announced plans on Friday to appeal against the High Court’s refusal to allow it to intervene in the case, and to further appeal against the temporary injunction.
Other local councils also publicly announced their intention to seek legal advice as to whether they could achieve a similar injunction for hotels in their areas.
Reform UK’s Nigel Farage has set out plans for mass deportations if he becomes prime minister.
Arresting asylum seekers on arrival, automatic detention and forced deportation to countries such as Afghanistan and Eritrea are among the proposals reported to be announced on Tuesday.
NNPProtesters in Newcastle this afternoon[/caption]
Andy Kelvin / KelvinmediaDemonstrators with Welsh and Union Jack flags in Mold, North Wales[/caption]
NNPA sea of flags – both St George’s and Union Jacks – in Newcastle this afternoon[/caption]
They also include deals with third countries, which could include reviving the Conservatives’ Rwanda link-up, and sending asylum seekers to British overseas territories such as Ascension Island as a “fallback” option.
Mr Farage said the plans could see hundreds of thousands of people deported and five charter flights taking off from the UK every day.
The first step of Reform UK’s plans would be to leave the European Convention on Human Rights and to scrap the Human Rights Act, followed by legislation to bar those who come to the UK on small boats from claiming asylum.
“The aim of this legislation is mass deportations,” Clacton MP Mr Farage told The Times.
“We have a massive crisis in Britain. It is not only posing a national security threat but it’s leading to public anger that frankly is not very far away from disorder.
“There is only one way to stop people coming into Britain and that is to detain them and deport them.”
Andy Kelvin / KelvinmediaA sign saying ‘No documents = risk to us all!’ in Mold[/caption]
GettyGroups protest outside the migrant hotel in Horley[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
