An angry far-right mob have stormed into a hotel housing migrants and asylum seekers, hurling chairs and releasing fire extinguishers on riot police, while setting bins and furniture alight.
Hundreds of violent anti-immigration protesters clad in balaclavas and draped in St George’s flags have clashed with officers trying to protect the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, South Yorkshire since around 2pm this afternoon. At least one cop has been injured in the chaos outside the hotel on the northern outskirts of the post-industrial town.
It marks yet another day of violent riots of Britain’s streets, after chaos ensued this week leaving cops with broken bones, cars set on fire and innocent pedestrians targeted on the streets. The outburst comes after three young girls were stabbed to death in Southport by alleged knifeman Axel Muganwa Rudakubana on July 29.
While photos from the scene have shown some occupants looking out of the hotel window onto rioters, it is still unclear if the migrants and asylum seekers housed in the property have been able to evacuate. MailOnline has contacted the Home Office.
Other photos appear to show far-right protesters breaching the hotel. The BBC reported that balaclava-clad people were seen forcing their way inside.
Objects and pieces of wood were flung at officers who had lined up in front of the building with at least one cop in riot gear being carried away by their colleagues. The grass around the hotel appears to have been set on fire as well.
One person’s face was seen completely covered with a Union Jack mask while they waved a large England flag outside the hotel while others swung back cans of bears while chanting offensive slogans.
A bin on fire outside the Holiday Inn Migrant hotel in Rotherham
Protesters try to cram into the migrant hotel through a damaged fire exit in Rotherham
A man looks out of The Holiday Inn hotel in Rotherham as counter demonstrators stand outside with signs saying ‘refugees welcome’
Two other residents in the hotel look out as protests begin in Rotherham, Britain
A fire extinguisher is sprayed at riot police in Rotherham
Police detain a man during an anti-immigration protest in Middlesbrough
A car lies overturned and on fire during an ant-immigration protest in Middlesbrough
A police officer helping a woman who has fallen over during an anti-immigration protest in Middlesbrough
A thug throws a brick at a parked car during an anti-immigration protest in Middlesbrough
A car burns after being overturned during an anti-immigration protest in Middlesbrough
A group of young men held a banner that read ‘we’re not far right we’re just right’ while another placard being waved around said: ‘Stopping the boats means stopping the stabbings’.
The protest has already been strongly criticise by anti-racism groups as well as campaigner Brendan Cox, whose MP wife Jo Cox was killed in her West Yorkshire constituency in 2016.
He said: ‘The scenes in Rotherham aren’t a protest, they aren’t even a far right riot, they are an ongoing attempt to murder the men, women and children inside by burning them alive.
‘The stench of these days will hang around those who incited and justified it for the rest of their lives.’
An anti-racism counter protest at the scene has increased tensions for police, who arrived to find banners reading: ‘Refugees welcome: Stop the far right.’
Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the violence this evening.
He said: ‘The shocking scenes we’re seeing on the streets of Britain have nothing to do with the tragedy in Southport.
‘This is violent, criminal behaviour that has no place in our society. The police have our full support to deal with these criminals swiftly and they must face the full weight of the law.’
A bin has been set on fire in Middlesbrough as police officers deal with an anti-immigration protest
A car burns after being overturned during an anti-immigration protest in Middlesbrough
A car burns after being overturned during an anti-immigration protest in Middlesbrough
A bin is chucked towards a fire as a group of far right protestes gather in Rotherham
A woman and a man take cover as objects are thrown during an anti-immigration protest outside the Holiday Inn Express
Police officers in front of a smashed window as trouble flares during an anti-immigration protest outside the Holiday Inn Express
A protester kicks a window at a hotel in Rotherham, as a far-right group joins
Extinguishers are blown at police as trouble flares up outside The Holiday Inn in Rotherham
A table is flung at a police officers wearing riot gear while others try to break into The Holiday Inn hotel in Rotherham
Police officers in front of a smashed window as trouble flares during an anti-immigration protest outside the Holiday Inn Express
Police officers tackle an anti-immigration protest in Middlesbrough
Police officers stand guard as counter-protesters push against the police cordon
A police officers is injured as trouble flares during an anti-immigration protest outside the Holiday Inn Express
South Yorkshire’s mayor Oliver Coppard said he is ‘utterly appalled by the violence’ in Rotherham.
‘What we’re seeing is not protest, it is brutal thuggery directed against some of the most vulnerable people in our society’, he said in a statement.
‘The people carrying out these attacks do not represent the beautiful, brilliant place and people I know. We will come after those carrying out this violence with the full force of the law’, he added.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on X: ‘The criminal, violent attack on a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham is utterly appalling. Deliberately setting fire to a building with people known to be inside.
‘South Yorkshire Police have full Government support for the strongest action against those responsible.’
Watching the scenes of chaos unfold, former home secretary and Tory party leader hopeful James Cleverly said rioters should be hit with ‘the full weight of the law’.
‘There is not and can never be any excuse, justification or rationale for behaviour like this,’ he tweeted. ‘This should be condemned by everybody, and those taking part should expect to be met with the full weight of the law.’
IGH, the parent company of the Holiday Inn chain, told the BBC: ‘The safety and security of our guests and colleagues is always our priority.’
Objects thrown at the hotel as trouble flares during an anti-immigration protest outside the Holiday Inn Express
An aerial view of the anti-migration protesters stand outside of the Holiday Inn Express
Police officers and people during an anti-immigration protest outside the Holiday Inn Express
Anti-immigration supporters outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham today
Police officers clash with anti-migration protesters outside of the Holiday Inn Express
Rioters outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, kicking off another day of chaos
An anti-immigration protester wearing a Union Jack mask outside of the Holiday Inn Express
Mounted police stand in front of anti-racism counter protesters holding placards outside of the Holiday Inn Express
Police officers and anti-immigration supporters outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham
Police officers and dogs patrol as anti-racism counter protesters and anti-migration protesters gather outside of the Holiday Inn
Police officers and anti-immigration supporters standing outside the hotel housing migrants in Rotherham
Protesters clash with police outside the Holiday Inn in Rotherham
Anti-racism counter protesters hold placards outside of the Holiday Inn Express
People carrying placards attend an anti-racism protest outside Holiday Inn Express
A person carries a sign reading ‘Refugees are welcome here’ outside the hotel housing migrants
Police officers and anti-immigration supporters outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham
An aerial view of the Holiday Inn Express, which has seen rioters gather outside it for another day of chaos in the UK
Mounted police stand opposite anti-racism counter protesters holding placards outside of the Holiday Inn Express
Police horses outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham amid the protests
People carrying placards attend an anti-racism protest outside Holiday Inn Express
Elsewhere in Middlesbrough, more than 300 protesters started marching towards the city’s Cenotaph.
They carried a banner that read: ‘Tom Jones is Welsh, Axel Rudakubana isn’t’ Rudakubana is the 17-year-old accused for murdering the three little girls in Southport and is charged with attempted murder of 10 others.
His parents were born in Rwanda before moving to the UK in 2002. Rudakubana was born in Cardiff in 2006 before moving to near Southport in 2013.
Others marching through the city chanted ‘we want our country back’ as they made their way through the city centre.
At least two people were taken away in handcuffs within the first half hour, while several pieces of slate were thrown, along with vapes and full plastic bottles.
Some people kicked bollards into the road so that police vehicles driving ahead of the group could not get through, and one man sat on the bonnet of a police car to stop it from moving.
The fresh day of riots comes as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to go on holiday with his family, it is understood, a decision which has been slammed by MPs.
Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick criticised Sir Keir for the getaway plan, branding it ‘completely wrong’ amid a period of chaos in the country.
Police officers detain a man during an anti-immigration protest, in Rotherham
Dogs are being utilised by cops to try and quell the violence
A police dog attacks a protester in Rotherham, during a protest in the West Yorkshire town this afternoon
A man is detained by police officers as people protest in Middlesbrough
Banner that reads ‘Tom Jones is Welsh, Axel Rudakubana isn’t’ through Middlesbrough
A man is detained by police officers as people protest in Middlesbrough
A man is detained as Far-right activists hold a demonstration in Middlesbrough
Trouble flares up outside of The Holiday Inn, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, where asylum seekers and immigrants are housed
Police officers detain a man during an anti-immigration demonstration outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham
Police officers with protesters as trouble flares during an anti-immigration demonstration outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham
A police officer attempts to extinguish a wheelie bin that has been set alight by anti-migration protesters outside of the Holiday Inn Express
No10 did not dispute the claims when approached by MailOnline but said the Prime Minister is working this weekend and next week.
The disruption across England and Northern Ireland began on Tuesday in Southport, after three little girls were killed in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
Slamming Sir Keir’s alleged plans to go on holiday, Mr Jenrick told GBN Live: ‘I think it would be completely wrong for the Prime Minister to go on holiday whilst parts of Britain are burning.
‘I’m sure that the government, like the whole country, sees the severity of the situation.’
The politician added: ‘I know they’re trying to get a grip on it and I welcome some of the measures they’ve already taken, like having more persecutors, having the courts sit weekends, but this is a very serious situation.’
However, Chris Webb, the Labour MP for Blackpool South, said Sir Keir ‘has to have family time’.
He told LBC’s Matthew Wright: ‘The government will continue and we’ve got an excellent Deputy Prime Minister.
‘Keir has to have family time, there’s no doubt about it. Every Prime Minister has to have that family time and that break but from what I know of Keir – and I’ve met him many times, and sitting here in Blackpool several times – he will be continuing to work and monitor the situation wherever he is on holiday.’
Cities such as Hull, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester and Belfast have seen vehicles burned, shops destroyed, pedestrians attacked and police officers injured this week following the Southport stabbings on Monday.
Arrests have been made across the country, with police warning of more to come once CCTV, social media and body-worn camera footage has been scoured.
There was violence on Saturday in towns and cities such as Hull, Liverpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham, Bristol, Manchester, Blackpool and Belfast, which saw several police officers injured. It followed a riot in Sunderland on Friday evening.
A community library on the Merseyside that only opened last year after months of fundraising was set on fire last night as more than 300 people descended on the streets of a deprived city suburb.
BRISTOL: A protester holding a piece of concrete walks towards riot police as clashes erupt in Bristol yesterday
NOTTINGHAM: Police officers detain a woman during a protest in Nottingham Market Square yesterday afternoon
LIVERPOOL: Police officers attend to a shell-shocked colleague after a face-off with protesters on Saturday
LIVERPOOL: Charred wheelie bins outside the Spellow Hub community library after a night of violent disorder in Liverpool
LIVERPOOL: Council workers clear debris from County Road after a night of violent disorder
HULL: Tyres had been set on fire as black smoke from the blaze filled the city’s streets
As firefighters tried to put on the flames that engulfed Spellow Lane Library Hub – which also functions as a food bank – rioters threw a missile at the engine, before breaking the rear window of a nearby cab.
Shocking photos from this morning show the burnt out interior of the library, with bookshelves tipped on their side, and glass surrounding the remaining computers.
One officer was shoved off his motorbike while another was looked after by colleagues after appearing shell-shocked following a violent confrontation with a protester.
Elsewhere, shameless looters took advantage of the violent mayhem, stealing everything from phones, shoes and wine from local shops.
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