- A demonstration by crowds outside a hotel sheltering asylum seekers turned violent.
- The violence resulted in injuries and the burning of a police van.
- Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has declared combating illegal migration one of his government’s main goals.
On Saturday, British police said 15 individuals had been arrested, including a 13-year-old girl, after a demonstration by crowds outside a hotel sheltering asylum seekers turned violent, resulting in injuries and the burning of a police van.
Police said offenders launched projectiles, including lighted fireworks, at officers after an initially peaceful rally and counter-protest in Knowsley, near Liverpool, in north-west England, on Friday evening.
Some people had arrived armed with hammers and pyrotechnics in order to “cause as much trouble as they could,” she continued.
Rumors and misinformation had spread on social media prior to Friday’s violence, Kennedy said, following an incident on Feb. 6 in Knowsley in which a male made unwanted approaches toward a teenage girl.
“We know that individuals involved in the violent activities last night exploited this as an excuse to commit violence and frighten members of the public,” she said, adding that a probe into the teen’s death was underway.
As the number of migrants crossing the English Channel to enter the United Kingdom swells, the government has been using hotels across the country as temporary housing while it reviews their asylum applications.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has declared combating illegal migration one of his government’s main goals, and new legislation to handle the issue is in the works.
Migrants landing on tiny boats have become a big political issue, particularly in working-class districts of north and central England, where they are blamed for making it difficult for people to find jobs and putting a strain on public services.
Police said they would enforce a dispersal order surrounding the Suites Hotel for two days, adding that extra officers would conduct high-visibility enforcement to prevent further incidents.
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