Police and protesters have clashed at demonstrations against hotels housing asylum seekers across the UK.
Demonstrations held under the Abolish Asylum System slogan took place around the UK, including Bristol, Liverpool and Horley, Aberdeen, Perth and Mold.
They were met by anti-racism demonstrations in many locations and police stepped in to keep the rival groups apart.
Forces across the country arrested 15 people in relation to the protests.
In Bristol, mounted police were forced to separate rival groups in the Castle Park area, and some officers scuffled with protesters.
Avon and Somerset Police said a 37-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.
Protesters from an anti-immigration group demonstrate against uncontrolled immigration outside Radisson Hotel in Perth, Scotland. (Photo: Getty Images) Demonstrators clashing with police in Horley, Surrey. Photo: (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)Three arrests were made at the Sheraton Four Points hotel in Horley, where around 200 anti-immigration protesters draped in St George and Union flags clashed with roughly 50 Stand Up to Racism demonstrators.
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 abuse from the anti-migration group, including one person who 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 immigration protesters.
Police keep anti migrant protestors and anti fascists demonstrators apart in Horley (Photo: Getty Images Europe)Mounted police officers scuffle with demonstrators during a protest by Abolish Asylum System and counter-protesters at Castle Park in Bristol on Saturday 23 August (Photo: Ben Birchall/PA Wire)Two arrests were made in Horley for breach of the peace and one for breaching the conditions of a community protection notice.
Chief Supt Juliet Parker, of Surrey Police, said officers had supported the public’s right to protest outside the hotel this morning and “while the majority of those present were protesting lawfully there were some individuals whose behaviour became disruptive”.
She added: “Officers were also present to minimise disruption to the local community.”
Police also arrested eleven people in Liverpool after UKIP protesters and counter demonstrators faced off.
Merseyside police said a UKIP march began at around 1.20pm and it was directed it back to St George’s Hall where it began over “serious disruption caused to the community”.
Stand up to racism demonstrators outside the Sheraton Four Points hotel, believed to be housing asylum seekers, in Horley (Photo: AFP via Getty Images)People take part in a counter protest against an Abolish Asylum System protest outside the Radisson Hotel in Perth. (Photo: PA)Stand Up To Racism, which organised the counter protest, claims it forced UKIP to abandon the march which was due to finish in the Toxteth area of the city.
Around 300 people joined a protest in Mold, Flintshire against possible plan to provide accommodation for asylum seekers in the town, the BBC reports.
About 40 people took part in a counter protest nearby holding banners which had “no to racism” and “asylum seekers welcome” written on them.
Saturday’s events come amid continued tension around the use of the hotels for asylum seekers
They also follow the High Court ruling on Tuesday to grant Epping Forest District Council a temporary injunction to remove asylum seekers from the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, from September 12.
Regular protests have taken place 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.
People take part in a counter protest to a Stand Up To Racism rally outside the Sheraton Four Points Hotel in Horley, Surrey (Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)An anti immigration rally outside the Sheraton Four Points Hotel in Horley (Photo: PA)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 leader Nigel Farage also announced he plans for mass deportations if he becomes prime minister.
Among his proposals are that asylum seekers should be arrested on arrival to the UK and automatically detained, before being deported to countries such as Afghanistan and Eritrea
Mr Farage said the plans could see hundreds of thousands of people deported and five charter flights taking off from the UK every day.
He told The Times: “The aim of this legislation is mass deportations.
“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.”
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