There have been protests outside the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf which is reportedly set to be used to offer temporary accommodation for asylum seekers (3 AUgu
Protesters jeered at hotel occupants and staff, let off flares, and one man was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer. The Metropolitan Police ordered the group to leave for 28 days under criminal justice powers.
The incident is part of a series of recent demonstrations at hotels housing asylum seekers across England, with similar protests leading to arrests in Islington, Newcastle, and planned restrictions on a demonstration in Essex. .
Claim:
Social media users have claimed variously that asylum seekers are working as delivery drivers while living in the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf, London, that the police have provided an escort to a “migrant” delivery driver at the same hotel and that police banned protests at the site for 28 days.
Evaluation
These claims differ from what the police have said about the events. The police say that people filmed leaving the hotel on mopeds were hotel staff, while the escort was provided to a delivery driver who was delivering to the hotel.
Police also said that the ban on protest applies only to a specific group of people and if others want to protest at the hotel lawfully they are allowed.
The facts
Protests took place outside the Britannia hotel on Sunday amid reports that asylum seekers are set to be housed at the site.
Delivery drivers
The video of the delivery driver being escorted by police matches images on Google Street View from the site, another video of the event has been shared on social media and the police commented on the video – all of which confirm that the event was indeed filmed at the location in CanaryWharf.
The police statement said that the driver was not a resident at the hotel and that there’s no evidence they were an illegal worker.
“This person was delivering to the hotel, they were not being accommodated there. There is no evidence to suggest they were working illegally,” the Met Police said. “They were were surrounded and intimidated by those gathered outside and officers intervened to make sure they got away safely.”
A screenshot from another video which showed two people on mopeds trying to leave the hotel matches Street View images from the scene. In response to that the police said: “The two people leaving were members of staff working at the hotel who were, as with the incident this afternoon, subjected to unacceptable harassment by those waiting outside.”
Protesters
Videos were circulated online showing police ordering people to leave the area. However, in a statement the Metropolitan Police said that this was for a group which remained “who were harassing occupants of the hotel and staff”.
“Their actions went well beyond protest to harassment and we used powers under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 to order that specific group to leave and not return for 28 days.
“If a different group wishes to protest in the vicinity of the hotel they are not banned from doing so, providing they do so lawfully.”
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