Police clashed with protesters as demonstrations against asylum hotels erupted across the UK on Saturday. The coordinated protests under the "Abolish Asylum System" slogan took place in major towns and cities including Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle, Tamworth, and London's Canary Wharf.
Counter-protests organised by Stand Up to Racism met the anti-immigration demonstrations in multiple locations. The rival groups faced off in Bristol, Cannock, Leicester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Wakefield, and Horley in Surrey.
Police response and arrests
In Bristol, mounted police separated rival groups in Castle Park as officers scuffled with protesters. A 37-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker, though no officer required hospital treatment.
Chief Inspector Keith Smith said: "Our priority today has been to enable lawful peaceful protest for both groups. Our officers have dealt admirably with a really challenging situation and I'd like to take the opportunity to thank them for their professionalism."
Liverpool saw 11 arrests for offences including being drunk and disorderly, assault and affray. The arrests came as a UK Independence Party protest was met by a counter-demonstration.
Tensions in Surrey
Around 200 anti-immigration protesters draped in St George and Union flags clashed with roughly 50 Stand Up to Racism protesters in Horley's Bonehurst Road. The anti-racism protesters chanted "say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here" and held signs calling for solidarity.
They faced a torrent of abuse from the anti-migration group, with one person yelling through a megaphone "you're all scum and you should be ashamed" and "this wasn't about racism". Lines of police separated the groups as tensions peaked in the early afternoon.
Legal battles over hotel use
Saturday's protests come amid continued tension around asylum hotel usage. 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 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 both the High Court's refusal to allow intervention and the temporary injunction itself.
Farage's deportation plans
Reform UK's Nigel Farage has set out plans for mass deportations if he becomes prime minister. The proposals include arresting asylum seekers on arrival, automatic detention and forced deportation to countries such as Afghanistan and Eritrea.
Farage said the plans could see hundreds of thousands of people deported and five charter flights taking off from the UK every day. "The aim of this legislation is mass deportations," the Clacton MP 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," Farage said. The plans would require leaving the European Convention on Human Rights and scrapping the Human Rights Act.
Sources used: "PA Media", "Independent", "Guardian", "Belfast Live", "Manchester Evening News", "Northern Echo", "BBC", "Wales Online", "Chronicle Live", "The Standard", "Bristol Post", "The Times"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
