A peaceful protest by mothers wearing pink turned to violence this afternoon as masked thugs hijacked the demonstration outside a migrant hotel.
The group of women and children gathered outside the four-star Britannia International hotel in Canary Wharf, London, today where they sat and chanted ‘stop the boats’.
The group held up England flags and wore pink clothing to raise awareness of how women and young people are being ‘let down’ by the migrant crisis.
But the peaceful protest, which is ongoing, quickly turned to chaos as a group of up to 30 balaclava-clad men – all with their faces covered – swarmed the crowd.
The thugs caused a huge bang as they set off smoke bombs and chanted ‘Keir Starmer is a w*****’.
After trying to charge the fence surrounding the hotel, the group ran back in the direction they came from – but were caught by police and several arrests were made.
Protester Kim, 60, a resident of the area, said she was demonstrating as she worries for the safety of her family.
‘I live in this area, I have kids and grandkids and it needs to be safe for them to live. We don’t know them [asylum seekers], we don’t know what they’ve done. My son can’t get a house; he has been on the council list since he was 17.’
Migrant protestors arrive with flares and clash with police as other anti migrant protesters block the road
A man reacts after being arrested during a demonstration outside the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf on August 3
The same man is pictured face down with his head on a police hat
A line of police officers usher one of the protesters, dressed all in pink, back as they attempt to control the crowd
Police officers remonstrate with protestors during a demonstration outside the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf on August 3
Two women wave St. George’s flags at the protest outside the four-star Britannia International hotel in Canary Wharf, London
The pink protest of mothers and children was peaceful until it was swarmed by masked thugs
The thugs caused a huge bang as they set off smoke bombs and chanted ‘ Keir Starmer is a w*****’
Demonstrators at today’s protest in Canary Wharf clash with police officers
Speaking about the disruption from masked protesters, Kim said: ‘It is disgraceful. It completely upset the atmosphere. I don’t want to see that and I don’t want my kids to see.
‘If that was one of my children I would embarrassed. It ruined the atmosphere. This was meant to be a peaceful protest for women and children.’
A 17-year-old protester, who goes by the nickname of ‘Young Bob’, said he is concerned migrants will struggle to ‘integrate’ if they are housed in hotels in Canary Wharf.
Young Bob, who was part of the peaceful mothers’ protest, said: ‘The counter demonstrators libel us as Nazis.
‘But financial districts like these are not ideal for refugees who in the long term need integration.
‘During the weekday there are not a lot of people around.
‘How will they assimilate into Britishness in this environment?
‘Business people who had bookings in the hotel are being turned away which will impact businesses round here.’
A masked protesters clashes with police at today’s protest in Canary Wharf, London
He added: ‘The biggest diversity we can have is the diversity of opinion.
‘The protesters who disagree with us should relax in the expletives because it demonstrates a childishness.’
On Saturday, people believed to be asylum seekers appeared to move into the four-star hotel in London under the cover of darkness.
A coach full of suspected migrants was seen arriving at the Britannia International Hotel at around 1.40am on Saturday morning.
Tower Hamlets Council confirmed the Government intends to use the hotel – which has around 500 rooms – for asylum seekers in a move that has angered anti-migrant protesters and guests whose bookings have been cancelled.
Footage of the passengers getting off the coach showed they were all men, with the vast majority dressed in matching grey tracksuit tops and bottoms.
They were helped by masked security guards, some of whom appeared to be wearing body cameras.
Last week, workers were seen hauling beds and mattresses into the hotel in preparation for the arrival of ‘hundreds’ of asylum seekers.
A barricade of metal fencing was placed around the hotel by the Metropolitan Police after anti-migrant demonstrators protested the plan for immigrants to be housed there.
A sign held up at the mostly women’s protest reads ‘Don’t gamble with our lives: Stop the boats’
Alongside the Canary Wharf event, hundreds of demonstrators have gathered outside a hotel in Essex once again to protest against it being used to house migrants.
Police are out in force having circled around The Bell Hotel in Epping on Sunday evening.
It is the latest of a series of protests held there over the last few weeks.
Tonight, groups of mums said they were willing to continue to protesting ‘for months’ until the hotel closes.
Samantha Roberts, 34, said: ‘Come rain, sun, or snow we will be out here calling for this place to be closed to migrants.
‘Local anger is only increasing. People are coming from further afield. We will keep the pressure up. We won’t stop. We won’t give up until the hotel is closed to migrants.’
The full-time mum-of-three said they would also support other protests held outside a hotel in Canary Wharf, housing migrants, and others in London.
She added: ‘This isn’t just an Epping problem, it’s national.’
Police are out in force having circled around The Bell Hotel in Epping on Sunday evening – the lodging has been at the centre of protests over the last month
The demonstrators have tonight let off a series of flares and blasted music from a sound systems.
Signs include ‘Save our kids’, ‘lefties not welcome here’ and ‘send them home’.
Dad-of-two Thomas Adcock, 34, said he believed people were avoiding visiting Epping because of the hotel.
The businessman said: ‘It’s giving the town a bad name. People are avoiding us. They’re not visiting. The shops are not as busy. Things have slowed right down.
‘We’re becoming known for the hotel. It’s disgraceful. The hotel is causing so many problems for us.’
So far, it has been a peaceful protest with no troube.
Some men, believed to be migrants, briefly walked outside the hotel building to observe the protest.
They were still inside a metal fence which had been put up by police to try and prevent the protests spilling over into violence.
Dad Paul Cribb, 43, said he was ‘hopefully the hotel would soon be closed.
The plumber said: ‘I think in a few weeks they will close it down. It’ll be because of our pressure.
‘They have to understand this is all an atrocious waste of taxpayers money. It’s a complete farce.’
The Daily Mail has contacted the Met Police for comment.
