Rival protest groups have clashed outside a north London hotel over its continued use to house asylum seekers.
Officers were forced to rush in and separate the two groups with metal barriers after clashes erupted outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington on Saturday afternoon.
The Metropolitan Police said the protest against the hotel had been organised by local residents under the banner “Thistle Barbican needs to go – locals say no”.
The forced warned the protest had been “endorsed by groups from outside the local community which is likely to increase the number of people attending”.
Chief Superintendent Clair Haynes, who is leading the policing operation, said powers under the Public Order Act had been invoked by the force to prevent “serious disorder and to minimise serious disruption to the lives of people and businesses in the local community”.
Police form a barrier in front of masked protesters outside the hotel (Photo: PA)Protesters demonstrating under the banner ‘Thistle Barbican needs to go – locals say no’ wave a Union flag outside the hotel (Photo: Lucy North/PA Wire)Eyewitnesses said migrants watched from windows inside the hotel, with some waving and blowing kisses as protesters chanted and banged drums in the street below.
One was detained by police after getting into a confrontation with officers.
A large group of masked counter-demonstrators dressed in black and chanting “we are anti-fascist” marched from a side street towards the main protest.
A counter-protest was organised by Stand Up To Racism and supported by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Finsbury Park Mosque and the Islington Labour Party.
Protesters from Stand Up To Racism gather outside the hotel (Photo: PA)Anti-immigration protesters opposing the continued use of the hotel to house asylum seekers (Photo: PA)A protest and counter-protest will also take place in Newcastle outside The New Bridge Hotel on Saturday.
A 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.”
A noticeably smaller group of protesters waved union flags and held banners outside the hotel.
“Get these scum off our streets”, one man chanted in the direction of the hotel.
This story is being updated.
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