Anti-Migrant Protests In UK Sparked By Molestation Of A 14-Year-Old Girl In Essex

Illustration of a crowd on the street stretching from Buckingham Palace, London, England. (Jonny Gios-Unsplash)

JAKARTA - At least 30 anti-migrant demonstrations took place across the UK over the weekend, ending today, Saturday, August 23rd. In several locations, the protests turned violent.

According to Metro UK, these protests erupted in Bristol, Exeter, Tamworth, Cannock, Nuneaton, Liverpool, Wakefield, Newcastle, Horley, Canary Wharf, Aberdeen, and Perth in Scotland, as well as Mold in Wales.

Most of the demonstrations took place in front of local hotels where asylum seekers are being housed by the British government. Protesters waved Union Jack and St. George flags.

In Newcastle, more than 100 people waved Union Jack flags and unfurled banners outside the New Bridge Hotel, where approximately 800 male asylum seekers are being housed.

They chanted: "Stop the boats!", "Get them out!", and "Give them back!"

They also chanted: "Save the women and children."

However, counter-protesters were also present, chanting: "No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here!"

The demonstration was in support of a court ruling that mandated the city council to stop placing migrants at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, owned by Somani Hotels Limited.

According to the BBC, the court ruling follows the case of an asylum seeker staying at The Bell Hotel who was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in the city.

The hotel's 80 rooms were reportedly occupied. The hotel had been occupied by approximately 140 men as of July 2025.

The court ruling ordered the hotel to be vacated by 4:00 PM BST on September 12.

The UK Home Office has warned that the court ruling will have a "significant impact" on the government's ability to accommodate asylum seekers across the UK.