Police are braced for a weekend of potential unrest as they face a fresh wave of protests amid mounting tensions over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers.
Anti-migrant groups faced off with counterprotesters in Portsmouth city centre on Friday as a weekend of nationwide protests kicked off.
The demonstrations, said to be planned at 26 hotels across the country, come as a million revellers are expected to take to the streets of west London to celebrate Notting Hill Carnival.
Forces will also have to grapple with a string of Premier League matches as the season enters its second week of fixtures.
Despite the pressures, police chiefs insist they are “constantly reviewing the intelligence picture” and are well prepared to handle any protest action over the busy bank holiday weekend.
Posts being shared online are advertising anti-migrant protests at 26 sites housing asylum seekers today and over the weekend, including at the Britannia hotel in Canary Wharf and The Bell Hotel in Epping, which have both been previous sites for unrest.
Many will be met by counterdemonstrations, with Stand Up to Racism organising 15 events across Friday and Saturday at locations including Bournemouth, Bristol and Liverpool.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council said forces are experienced with managing protests, and there is a well-established plan for managing resources.
“We are constantly reviewing the intelligence picture around protests and other demand, and whilst the Metropolitan Police Service has their own significant resourcing in place for the Notting Hill Carnival, an additional national mobilisation for protests this weekend has not been considered necessary,” a spokesperson said.
“We continue to have national mobilisation plans in place to respond should the position change.”
The fresh wave of demonstrations comes as the latest figures showed the number of asylum seekers in hotels had risen to 32,000 during Labour’s first year in office, but remains far below the peak of 56,000 in September 2023.
Meanwhile, councils across the country controlled by Labour, the Conservatives and Reform UK are investigating whether they could pursue legal challenges against asylum hotels.
This follows a High Court judge granting Epping Forest District Council a temporary injunction – which the government is seeking to appeal – ruling that asylum seekers can no longer be accommodated at The Bell Hotel in Epping.
The council had argued the injunction was needed amid “unprecedented levels of protest and disruption” in a string of rallies at the site after an Ethiopian refugee was charged with sexually assaulting a schoolgirl.
The alleged assault triggered a series of protests, with up to 2,000 demonstrators descending on the building to demand its closure.
Refugee Council chief executive Enver Solomon warned the protests are causing alarm to vulnerable refugees who have fled war in countries such as Sudan and Afghanistan, ahead of the weekend of action.
Many feel “hunted” amid scenes of “hate and intimidation on Britain’s streets”, the Freedom from Torture charity said.
A 26-year-old Afghan man who has been living in a hotel in Yorkshire for almost two years said he fears what might happen to him here.
The refugee, who fled after his family were targeted by the Taliban, said: “I feel like nobody likes me, the people of this city don’t want us, but I don’t have any other option.”
The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, has repeatedly warned that ongoing unrest places forces and officers under strain.
“Public order duties often mean long shifts, cancelled leave, missed family time and real risk,” a spokesperson added.
“That takes its toll. This isn’t just about numbers – it’s about resilience, wellbeing, and a system under strain.”
Meanwhile, the Met revealed it has arrested 100 people in a bid to deter criminals from exploiting Notting Hill Carnival following three deaths linked to the event in recent years.
The force carried out “intelligence-led interventions”, and 21 people were recalled to prison. They seized 11 firearms, more than 40 knives, and 266 people have been banned from attending the event this weekend.
Commander Charmain Brenyah said while the vast majority come to the carnival to enjoy themselves, a small minority “come with less positive intentions”.
“The actions of this minority are totally at odds with the values of those who care passionately about Carnival, and we acknowledge those, including the event organisers, who have stood up to condemn violence and serious criminality in the run-up to this weekend,” he said.
“Our policing plan makes tackling serious violence a priority, which is why we’ve carried out intelligence-led interventions against those groups and individuals who we have reason to believe pose the greatest risk to the safety of other Carnival-goers.
“We hope that this police activity will be a significant deterrent for those who otherwise might have been planning to come and engage in violence and other criminality.”
The force, supported by the City of London Police and British Transport Police, said officers will be deployed in significant numbers, aided by technology including a network of CCTV cameras, screening arches and live facial recognition cameras.
