London churches join protest against anti-refugee demo

Refugees Welcome campaigners

Around 30 people from St Joseph's Church, Bunhill Row, Union Chapel, and Wesley's Chapel & Leysian Mission, along with other local community groups, swelled the ranks of a counter-protest mounted against the anti-refugees demonstrators gathered at the Thistle Barbican Hotel in Central Street, Islington on Saturday.

The far-right protesters claimed, without evidence, that the hotel was being used to host refugees from the Bell Hotel in Epping, scene of other recent neo-fascist demonstrations.

Counter-protesters drowned out their opponents with chants of "Refugees are welcome here!" and "Whose streets? Our streets!"

Some asylum-seeker members of St Joseph's congregation, which has people from around 33 different national backgrounds, have been resident in the hotel in recent months.

Police said the anti-asylum hotel protest had been "endorsed by groups from outside the local community," which was likely to have increased the number of people attending.