Man arrested after thugs hijack mums' peaceful 'pink protest' outside Canary Wharf asylum hotel
A peaceful protest held by mothers wearing pink descended into violence after masked thugs hijacked the gathering taking place outside a suspected migrant hotel in Canary Wharf.
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The peaceful protest group, comprised of women and children, gathered outside the Britannia International Hotel, located at the heart of east London's financial district on Sunday.
The hotel, which is being used to house asylum seekers, saw the protest swarmed by up to 30 men wearing balaclavas chanting "Keir Starmer's a w*****".
The Metropolitan Police has now confirmed that one arrest was made during the Canary Wharf protest.
Read More: Nine arrested as anti-asylum protesters and counter groups face-off outside London migrant hotel
The group of held up England flags and wore pink clothing to raise awareness of how women and young people are affected by the migrant crisis before they were beset by hooligans.
Protesters jeered at people going in and out of the hotel, and officers were forced to step in after flares were let off in the crowd, the Metropolitan Police said.
A spokesperson for the Met said: "At one point, officers intervened after flares were let off in the crowd. Several people were searched. No further flares were found.
"One man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker after an officer was pushed. He was taken into custody.
"Officers remain in the area to provide reassurance to local residents and businesses, to ensure that any further protest takes place peacefully, and to respond to any incidents."
It is the latest in a series of demonstrations over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers.
We have not banned protests outside the Britannia International Hotel.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) August 3, 2025
We continue to encourage those exercising their lawful right to protest to do so responsibly.
Anyone who crosses the line from lawful protest into criminality can expect to face police action. pic.twitter.com/MNyIuWD3cV
The situation looked poised to escalate after the group then tried to charge the security fence surrounding the hotel, before being caught by police and arrested.
On the disruption, local mother Kim told MailOnline: "It is disgraceful. It completely upset the atmosphere. I don't want to see that and I don't want my kids to see."
LBC has contacted the Metropolitan Police for comment.
This is the latest incident at the Britannia after protests erupted outside the hotel on July 23.
Images posted on social media showed dozens of protestors standing outside the Britannia holding signs reading “stop the boats".
The protests broke out around the £81-a-night hotel when false rumours circulated about asylum seekers from Epping being moved to Canary Wharf following protests led to the closure of the Bell Hotel in Essex.
It later emerged that the four-star hotel was instead being prepped to house asylum seekers for the first time.
During the protest over a week ago, small clashes between police and anti-migrant protestors were posted online, with some throwing eggs.
Chants of “paedophile protectors” were levelled at police by the anti-migrant protestors as they arrived at the hotel.
A Met spokesperson said: "Officers were in attendance at a protest outside a hotel in Canary Wharf.
"No arrests were made. Officers remain in the area to deal with any incidents."