Violence outside British hotel for asylum seekers leads to 15 arrests

People watch a fire outside a hotel offering refuge to asylum seekers after a protest in Knowsley — People look at a fire outside a hotel offering refuge to asylum seekers following a protest in Knowsley, near Liverpool, Britain, on February 10, 2023, in this still image taken from social media video . Courtesy of Tony Broster/via REUTERS
Reuters

British police said on Saturday that 15 people, including a 13-year-old child, had been arrested after a crowd protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers turned violent, causing injuries and a police van being set on fire. .

Offenders hurled missiles, including fireworks, at police after an initially peaceful protest and counter-protest on Friday night in Knowsley, near Liverpool in northwest England, police said.

Knowsley Council said the protests took place outside the Suites Hotel, which has offered refuge to asylum seekers since January last year under a British government contract.

One police officer and two members of the public suffered minor injuries, police said, adding that a total of 13 men and two women were arrested.

“Several individuals who appeared at the Suites Hotel last night intended to use a planned protest to carry out violent and despicable behaviour,” said Merseyside Police Chief Serena Kennedy.

Some individuals showed up armed with hammers and fireworks to “cause as much trouble as possible”, she added.

Rumors and misinformation circulated on social media ahead of Friday’s violence following an incident on Feb. 6 in Knowsley in which a man made inappropriate advances towards a teenage girl, Kennedy said.

“We know that those involved in last night’s violent activity used this as an excuse to commit violence and intimidate the public,” she said, adding that an investigation into the incident involving the teenager was ongoing.

As the number of migrants crossing the English Channel to reach Britain increases, the government has been using hotels across the country as temporary accommodation while it processes their asylum applications.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cracking down on illegal migration a top priority for his government and is planning new legislation to tackle the problem.

Migrants arriving in small boats have become a major political issue, particularly in working-class areas in northern and central England, where they are accused of making it harder to find work and overburdening public services.

Police said they will enforce a dispersal order in the area around the Suites Hotel for two days and extra officers will conduct high-visibility policing to prevent further incidents.