More clashes and arrests at UK immigration protests

Further clashes erupted at anti-immigration protests across the United Kingdom on Saturday, resulting in several arrests by police.

Protests in Manchester and London

Manchester
Demonstrators advocating for mass “remigration” assembled in central Manchester, in the northwest of England, for a march organised by the far-right group Britain First. The event was met by counter-demonstrators from anti-racism groups.

According to an AFP journalist present at the scene, the two opposing groups clashed briefly at the beginning of the protest before police intervened and separated them.

One protester, Brendan O’Reilly, aged 66, voiced his views:

“Send them back, don’t let them in — just stop them coming in. We’ve got hotels full of immigrants and we’ve got our own homeless people in the streets begging for food but nowhere to live.”

Conversely, Judy, a 60-year-old retired nurse and counter-protester, told AFP:

“I’m here because I don’t want to see people full of hate on the streets of Manchester.”

She questioned the true intent behind the demonstrations:

“Do they want them all to go back, or is it just people with brown skin? I suspect it’s just people with brown skin that they want to re-migrate.”

London
In central London, rival demonstrators gathered outside a hotel in the Barbican neighbourhood that is housing asylum seekers. The protest followed similar recent events which have occasionally escalated into violence.

Clashes broke out before police moved in to restore order. The Metropolitan Police reported on X that officers had cleared a junction where counter-protesters were assembled in breach of the conditions imposed for public order.

So far, there have been nine arrests related to the protests, with seven individuals charged with breaching Public Order Act conditions, according to police.

Recent tensions and hotspots across the UK

In recent weeks, the UK has witnessed several flashpoints involving immigration protests, with particular attention focused on the north-east London neighbourhood of Epping. These events continue to reflect deep divisions within communities on the issue of immigration and asylum seekers.

Summary table of protest events and police response

These protests highlight the ongoing tensions surrounding immigration policy and public sentiment in the UK, with authorities striving to maintain peace while balancing competing views on a highly sensitive topic.