Protesters clash outside London migrant hotel

Protesters from opposing sides are clashing outside a central London hotel, which houses migrants.

Hundreds have gathered to protest against the Thistle City Hotel in Islington used to home migrants, which has also sparked a major counter-protest. 

People from Stand Up To Racism attracted a crowd with dozens of ‘smash racism’ placards and chants of ‘Nazi scum off our streets,’ while across the road anti-migrant group Patriots of Britain supporters flew Union Jack flags and chanted ‘pedophiles’ at the counter protest. 

Police have thrown a ring of steel around the hotel and are separating the two groups with hundreds of officers at the scene. 

Stand Up To Racism national officer Samira Ali, 25, said: ‘We are here today to show our opposition to the far right who are trying to whip up hatred against refugees.

‘We want Keir Starmer to stop blaming migrants for all our problems and stop appearing Reform. From the government’s point of view they could start putting in place safe routes and make society welcoming for refugees.’

Among the anti-migrant protesters, Epping resident Debbie Jones said she had come to the protest as she had previously lived in the area and believed it has become ‘unsafe’ for women and girls due to the migrant hotel. 

The 65-year-old said: ‘I used to play on my own here until it was dark – now I would let my nine-year-old granddaughter out. 

‘We’re surrounded by undocumented, inverter men who are coming over and assaulting our young girls. It’s been happening in Epping.

‘The first step is putting the Royal Navy in the Channel and stopping the boats. The second step is putting all the migrants in an army camp.’

Debbie added that she did believe that migrants and refugees did deserve to be ‘looked after’ – and she had sympathy for refugees’ plight as her Jewish grandparents had fled the Nazis in Germany during the Second World War.

She said: ‘We can be a generous country. I wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t let in my grandparents. You can come from Mars for all I care. But when you come here abide by our laws and you assimilate.’

Luke Daniels, who has lived a short walk from the hotel for more than 40 years, said: ‘This community has lived in harmony for a long time. In all that time there has not been any incidents of racist attacks – and we want to keep it that way.’

Responding to other residents concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour from some hotel occupants, Luke said: ‘There has always been anti social behaviour, it’s been going on a long time. It’s not surprising that some are committing bad behaviour but alot of them are coming from war zones.’

The Islington resident believe that migrants in hotels should be allowed to work and that this would help integration.

He said: ‘Most of the migrants are fit. Let them contribute to society.’

Paul Melbourne, 44, was campaigning against the hotel being used to house migrants and said it was a ‘disgrace.’

He said: ‘They drag the area down. There’s been an awful lot of problems and issues since they arrived. Crime has increased. Everyone is on edge.’

Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, addressed the crowd with a speech against politicians ‘appeasing fascism.’ 

She said: ‘We don’t want politicians who appease racists, we don’t want politicians who appease fascists, you’re not fooling us.’

Shortly after, dozens of police had to move swiftly to contain a hundred-strong group of anti-racism activists, many wearing black masks and flying Palestine flags, which broke away from the main group and was headed towards the anti-migrant crowd.

They were yelling and shouting abuse.

Anti-racist protesters – kettled by a half dozen police vans and dozens of officers- confronted the police with chants of ‘Who do you serve, who do you protect’. Other chants included ‘Where’s your Tommy gone  -far, far away’,  referencing Tommy Robinson leaving the UK as police look to speak to him about a suspected assault in St Pancras last week.

Toni Hine, a 42-year-old receptionist who has lived in nearby Golden Lane her whole life, addressed the anti-migrant protesters, calling for the government to shut down the hotel.

She said: ‘I don’t blame them in the hotel. I blame the government. They don’t live here, they’re not dealing with the issue.’

It comes after hundreds of far-right protesters surrounded a hotel which once housed asylum seekers.

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