Police gear up for protests outside hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham

The force says it will aim to maintain balance between ‘the rights of people to lawfully protest, with the rights of those affected and the wider public’.

Anti-immigration protesters are set to gather in Manvers on Saturday February 18. A counter protest has been organised by Rotherham Unite Against Fascism.

It comes a week after 15 people were arrested over violent disorder outside a Merseyside hotel housing asylum seekers.

South Yorkshire Police said: ‘There are measures in place designed to ensure minimal disruption to local residents, businesses and traffic. With this in mind, our Chief Constable has used Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 to impose a condition that specifies where the protests can take place at the premises. Liaison officers will be on-site throughout the day. If you have any concerns or questions, please do approach them’.

Some 130 asylum seekers were moved from the Ibis in Bramley to the hotel in Manvers last year.

John Healey, MP for Wentworth and Dearne, said: “I am fully aware of the planned protests and concerned about outsiders seeking to cause disruption in our community. Since Home Office ministers decided to use our Manvers hotel to accommodate asylum seekers last year, I’ve worked closely with local residents, the police, the council and other agencies to ensure the situation is managed well and proper support is in place.”

Similar protests are planned in Liverpool, Ireland and Oxford today, according to Unite Against Fascism.