Nine Arrested as Rival Protests Clash Outside London Asylum Hotel

On August 2, 2025, rival protest groups clashed outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington, north London, where asylum seekers are being housed. The anti-asylum hotel protest was organized by local residents under the banner "Thistle Barbican needs to go – locals say no" and was endorsed by groups outside the community, including "Patriots of Britain" and "Together for the Children." A counter-protest, supported by Stand Up To Racism, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Finsbury Park Mosque, and Islington Labour Party, also took place to support migrants and asylum seekers. Police imposed conditions on both demonstrations and made nine arrests, seven for breaching Public Order Act conditions, after anti-fascist protesters blocked a junction and resisted police. Some migrants watched the protests from the hotel windows, showing support by waving and blowing kisses, while demonstrators chanted and banged drums. Counter-protesters emphasized their desire for migrants to feel safe in the UK and condemned the anti-migrant rhetoric as intimidation tactics.