Some of the main targets for anti-immigration protesters this weekend are Chichester, Cannock, Wakefield and Tamworth, with anti-racism demonstrators also setting up counter-protests at a number of locations
08:30, 22 Aug 2025Updated 08:34, 22 Aug 2025
Small towns across the UK are set to be swarmed by anti-immigration protests and counter demonstrations this weekend over the asylum hotels row.
The main targets for demonstrators are hotels in Chichester, Cannock, Wakefield and Tamworth, but protests are expected to be held at dozens of locations across the UK.
It comes after a High Court judge ordered migrants be removed from a hotel in Essex, with residents of these towns seeking to replicate the results of the landmark ruling. It comes after Nigel Farage faced criticism for encouraging the protests, writing in the Telegraph: "Let's hold peaceful protests outside the migrant hotels, and put pressure on local councils to go to court to try and get the illegal immigrants out; we now know that together we can win."
But the anti-immigration protesters are just one part of the story, with anti-racism protesters scrambling to co-ordinate counter demonstrations. The fear is that 30 towns and cities could witness the worst disruption since riots broke out last summer following the mass stabbings of young girls at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport.
Stand Up to Racism says it's preparing for at least eight demonstrations. They are set to take place later today in Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Leicester, Leeds, Orpington, Perth, Aberdeen and Altrincham, reports The Times.
Nine more are planned for tomorrow in Bristol, Newcastle, Wakefield, Stockport, Oldham, Exeter, Oxford, and a number of other locations. Among the hotels at the centre of the protests are thought to be buildings that are housing families opposed to single men.
The landmark ruling on Tuesday came after a migrant was charged with sexually assaulting a schoolgirl after being housed at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex. There are thought to have been around 138 migrants living at the hotel.
Following the alleged assault, up to 2,000 protesters flocked to the building and demanded its closure.
While many of the demonstrators were peaceful, other sections of the crowd quickly turned violent - fighting with the police and throwing projectiles as officers. By the end of the protests, which were organised with the help of members of the far-right group Homeland, 16 people were charged.
A temporary injunction was awarded to Epping Forest district council this week to stop the hotel housing migrants. The High Court ruled in their favour because the owners had not applied for a "material change" in the use of the building from a hotel to one housing asylum seekers.
In its argument, the council said the hotel needed to be closed to restore "the safety of nearby residents". It also said the hotel was a "catalyst for violent protests in public places".
Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice hailed the ruling on Wednesday as a “victory for lawful, peaceful protest”.
When asked if he would encourage the protests, he told Times Radio: “Yes, because that’s part of who we are. And that’s a way that residents can express their genuine concerns in a peaceful, friendly way.
"And some of these protests have been colourful. They’ve been cheerful.”