Five arrested as protests target London hotels housing asylum seekers
Five people were arrested at a protest in London, where a group of masked men attempted to enter a hotel housing asylum seekers on Saturday.
Around noon, two anti-asylum groups marched to the Crowne Plaza on Stockley Road, west London, and a group of masked men attempted to enter the building through the rear entrance, damaging security fences, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Other demonstrators proceeded towards the nearby Novotel on Cherry Lane, in West Drayton, and a Holiday Inn.
Officers established cordons in the area to prevent a breach of the peace, resulting in three arrests.
Two officers sustained minor injuries and two additional arrests were made as officers dispersed the crowd, the force stated.
A section 35 dispersal order has been implemented, allowing officers to instruct people to leave the area and not return if they suspect potential disorder, the police reported.
Cmdr Adam Slonecki, supervising London’s policing this weekend, stated: “Around 500 protesters were present, but most have now dispersed from the immediate vicinity. However, further arrests will be made if we need to address disorder.”
In Essex, police have initiated a section 60AA order granting them the authority to order the removal of face coverings and a dispersal order in preparation for a planned protest in Epping on Saturday evening.
The section 60AA order will last for 24 hours, and the dispersal order, covering the main high street and the surrounding area of the Bell Hotel, will be in effect until 4 am Sunday.
Assistant Chief Constable Glen Pavelin, of Essex Police, stated: “We never take the decision to impose restrictions on members of the public lightly.
“However, we must guard against the impact of antisocial behavior on our community, and these orders give us additional powers to address it if necessary.”
In Falkirk, activists who converged on a hotel were met by hundreds of counter-protesters.
Two separate demonstrations were organized by the Save Our Future and Our Kids Futures group in the town on Saturday, concerning alleged crimes linked to those housed at the Cladhan Hotel.
Hundreds gathered outside the office of Labour MP Euan Stainbank.
More than 200 people later assembled outside the nearby Cladhan Hotel, believed to house asylum seekers waiting for their claims to be processed.
Stainbank, Scottish Labour MP for Falkirk, stated: “We must fix the broken asylum system that has not worked for years – for communities such as Falkirk and for those seeking refuge from persecution.
“The Labour government’s actions, within days of entering office, to end the Tories’ Rwanda scheme, focus resources on processing claims, and end unnecessary processing pauses will allow us to close all Tory-created asylum hotels during this parliament.”
The protest is the second in as many weeks outside the Cladhan Hotel, while another demonstration took place outside a facility in Perth last week.
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