Protesters and Counter-Groups Clash Over Asylum Seeker Housing at North London Hotel

Protesters are expected to gather outside a north London hotel this Saturday to oppose its use as accommodation for asylum seekers, prompting police to warn they will take immediate action if any criminal behaviour occurs.

There will be a heightened police presence in Clerkenwell, where demonstrators plan to march toward the Thistle Barbican Hotel. The protest is part of a wider trend of demonstrations across the UK targeting government-funded housing for asylum seekers.

Since July 13, The Bell Hotel has been the site of repeated protests following allegations that an asylum seeker attempted to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Residents in Islington have reported a rise in violence and sexual offences since the hotel began housing migrants.

In response, counter-protest groups like Stand Up to Racism have mobilized, calling on communities to “stop the far right in your area.” Longtime Islington MP Jeremy Corbyn has urged people to “stand together against hate.”

Chief Superintendent Clair Haynes, overseeing the police response, said officers have been in contact with both protest organisers and have continued to engage with local communities. She emphasized the police will act impartially to allow peaceful protest while stepping in swiftly if laws are broken.

Under the Public Order Act, police have imposed conditions to prevent disorder and reduce disruption for locals. Protesters will be kept in two separate zones—visible and audible to each other—with specific start and end times set.

The Metropolitan Police also stated it has contingency plans for similar protests near other hotels housing asylum seekers.

Earlier this week, Essex Police supervised a peaceful march from The Bell Hotel to a nearby high street without making any arrests.

In a related development, Spelthorne Borough Council leader Joanne Sexton wrote to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper expressing alarm over abrupt changes at the Stanwell Hotel, another site housing asylum seekers. She noted that families already living there had been integrating well, and warned the reversal could undermine progress and cause disruption in the community.

Anti-migrant protests have been escalating nationwide, stirring tensions. In London, large gatherings have also occurred outside the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf, which is also believed to be housing migrants.