3 hrs ago
Anti-Migrant Protesters Mistake Pakistan U-19 Team for Asylum Seekers
A group of protesters went to a hotel in Portsmouth because they thought asylum seekers were staying there.
They had seen reports online about a coach carrying young Asian men.
The people at the hotel were actually Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team.
The young players were in England for cricket.
A Reform UK councillor checked what was happening and helped calm the crowd.
Police also spoke with the people gathered outside.
About 30 people left soon afterward.
Police said no crimes were reported.
A racism campaign group said the incident showed the dangers of blaming refugees and migrants.
Around 30 anti-immigration demonstrators gathered outside a Marriott Hotel in Cosham, Portsmouth, after reports of a coach carrying young Asian men.
The protesters mistakenly believed Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team were asylum seekers, according to British media reports.
A Reform UK councillor helped disperse the crowd after confirming the group were teenage cricketers.
Hampshire Police said officers explained that the protesters’ concerns were incorrect and that no offences were identified.
Stand Up To Racism condemned the incident as an example of scapegoating refugees and migrants.
- Who
- Anti-immigration demonstrators, Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team, Hampshire Police, a Reform UK councillor, and Stand Up To Racism.
- What
- Protesters gathered outside a hotel after mistaking Pakistan’s teenage cricket team for asylum seekers.
- Where
- Outside a Marriott Hotel in Cosham, a northern suburb of Portsmouth, southern England.
- When
- Tuesday evening, about 48 hours after protests disrupted migrants’ disembarkation near Portsmouth.
- Why
- Online reports about a coach carrying young Asian men led protesters to believe asylum seekers were staying at the hotel.
Critics of Anti-Migrant Protests
Protesters’ Reported Concerns
Reason for the gathering
Critics of Anti-Migrant Protests
Stand Up To Racism said the incident showed where scapegoating refugees and migrants can lead.
Protesters’ Reported Concerns
The demonstrators gathered because online reports described a coach carrying young Asian men near the hotel, leading them to believe asylum seekers were present.
Assessment of the situation
Critics of Anti-Migrant Protests
The group at the hotel were Pakistan’s Under-19 cricketers, not asylum seekers, and the mistaken belief prompted an unnecessary protest.
Protesters’ Reported Concerns
Police said officers spoke with the gathered public and explained that their concerns were not correct; the crowd then dispersed.
Key facts
- Location
- Marriott Hotel, Cosham, Portsmouth
- Crowd size
- Around 30 people
- Group mistaken for migrants
- Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team
- Police response
- Officers spoke to the crowd and explained that their concerns were incorrect
- Outcome
- The crowd dispersed shortly afterward, and no offences were identified
- Political involvement
- A Reform UK councillor helped disperse the crowd
- Criticism
- Stand Up To Racism said the incident demonstrated the consequences of scapegoating refugees and migrants
Quotes
Hampshire Police spokesman
Spokesman for the police force responsible for the Portsmouth area
“The officers explained that their concerns were not correct.”
wionews.com
Sources
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