Home Secretary Condemns ‘Utterly Appalling’ Scenes as Bottles and Chairs Are Thrown Outside Holiday Inn Express.
A mob of masked rioters, led by far-right individuals, attempted to set fire to a hotel housing asylum seekers, causing further violence during anti-immigration protests across the country.
Approximately 700 people gathered outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, clashing with police. Some rioters threw pieces of wood, bottles, and chairs, while others sprayed fire extinguishers at police officers.
South Yorkshire Police reported that at least 10 officers were injured, including one who was left unconscious with a head injury. Footage from the scene showed a bin on fire and protesters, some draped in St George and union flags, chanting: “Get them out.” At one point, demonstrators appeared to storm the hotel, with reports of a fire inside and people peering out of windows.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the rioters, stating: “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 is a serious crime. South Yorkshire Police have full government support for the strongest action against those responsible.”
Protests at the Holiday Inn Express began at midday and quickly escalated into a riot when a mob of far-right individuals, mostly men, smashed windows and set a stairwell in the building alight, temporarily overwhelming police.
Shabnam Shabir, who was part of a group of counter-protesters, described the experience as traumatizing. She said her group was surrounded and kettled by the mob, who chanted racist slurs and used derogatory terms. “It was a lot of angry, angry, angry far-right,” Shabir said. “This is very scary.” She was left stranded in her car outside the hotel, unable to leave until the rioters dispersed. “And we have people inside the hotel who are scared for their lives, so it’s terrifying,” she added.
Police closed roads around the hotel, which is on a major roundabout and connected by roads on three sides. By 5 PM, they had created a safe space around the building and pushed the rioters back using shields.
A number of officers were injured, and one officer was hospitalized with a head injury caused by a brick thrown by a far-right protester. An experienced South Yorkshire police officer described it as the worst riot he had ever attended.
Some rioters included children brought by their parents, who were seen throwing stones at the riot police. One female rioter was seen crying as she was taken to safety behind the police line, bleeding from a wound on the back of her head.
One woman, who had come with her partner and child to demonstrate outside the hotel, claimed she had seen asylum seekers “with machetes and holding the British flag and sticking their fingers up at it.” However, no other witnesses confirmed this account.
The protesters frequently chanted slogans such as “Tommy Robinson,” “Yorkshire,” and “we want our country back.” Fireworks were aimed in the vicinity of mounted police, and two police helicopters circled overhead. Officers anticipated a long night of unrest.
By just after 6 PM, South Yorkshire police reported that no hotel employees or guests were injured and that officers had regained access to the hotel, continuing to disperse the rioters. One arrest was made.
Assistant Chief Constable Lindsey Butterfield described the behavior as “nothing short of disgusting.” She emphasized that those who stood by and watched the violence were complicit in the events. “Those who choose to spread misinformation and hate online also need to take responsibility for today’s scenes. This was not a protest, just angry people reacting to a false narrative with their own motivations,” she added. She also warned that those involved in the violence “should expect us to be at their doors very soon.”
Rioters also gathered outside a Holiday Inn in Tamworth on Sunday evening, according to Staffordshire Police. Windows were smashed, and three petrol bombs were used to start fires. One officer sustained a suspected broken arm. The force described the incidents as “despicable thuggery.”
Police reported that the disorder had ended, with the crowd dispersed from outside the Holiday Inn. Officers continued to patrol the area overnight and appealed for information to identify those who attacked the hotel and police officers.
A Staffordshire Police statement said: “Police officers faced attacks with petrol bombs and fireworks, and damage was caused to the hotel by protesters, putting residents’ lives at risk. Fortunately, no one inside was injured.”
Protests were also planned on Sunday in Bolton, Lancaster, Weymouth, and Middlesbrough. In Middlesbrough, more than 300 protesters marched through the city center, chanting, “We want our country back.” Rioters threw bricks, cans, and pots at police and pushed burning wheelie bins at a line of officers, leaving a road strewn with smoking debris.
One group walked through a residential area, smashing the windows of houses and cars. When questioned by a resident, one rioter reportedly replied, “because we’re English,” according to the PA news agency.
Shortly before 1:30 AM on Monday, Cleveland Police reported that 43 people had been arrested. “The violent disorder in Middlesbrough has now ended. A policing presence will remain in the town throughout the night and into tomorrow and the coming days. A full investigation is now underway,” they stated.
Elsewhere, Merseyside Police implemented two Section 60 orders, granting officers greater stop-and-search powers across Liverpool and Southport. These orders were activated at 2 PM on Sunday and remained in effect for a 12-hour period. Greater Manchester Police also authorized Section 60 and Section 60AA orders in Bolton until 10 PM on Sunday, following an earlier Section 34 dispersal notice. A Section 60AA order requires individuals to remove face coverings used to disguise their identity.
The ongoing rioting and disorder follow the tragic killing of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on Monday. Axel Rudakubana, 17, from Lancashire, is accused of the attack, but false claims spread online suggested that the suspect was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK by boat. These messages have fueled far-right protests guided by social media, leading to gatherings in towns and cities across the country.
At least 100 people were arrested after violence erupted on Saturday in Hull, Liverpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham, Bristol, Manchester, Blackpool, and Belfast. Several police officers were injured, shops were looted, and a library providing support for one of the country’s most deprived communities was set on fire.
Volunteers armed with brushes and bin bags joined council crews to clean up the streets. “Yesterday we saw the worst of Hull, but today we have seen the best,” Councillor Jack Haines of Hull City Council said on Sunday, praising the “selfless” volunteers.
The community also rallied to support council workers in County Road, Walton, where the ground floor of Spellow Lane Library Hub suffered severe fire damage. Shelves of books were knocked over in the library, which was scheduled to host activities for young people in August and adult learning courses in September.
“I want to pay tribute to Merseyside Police, the emergency services, and Liverpool City Council staff for their fast response in cleaning up, and also to those residents who came out to help – it has been heartening to see, and that is the real spirit of our city,” said Councillor Liam Robinson, the leader of Liverpool City Council.
“The violence we have witnessed is the manipulation of tragic events, an attack on our community by wanton criminals. We can’t allow a minority of mindless thugs to win. They do not represent our city, and we will work with partners to ensure the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice. Our priority is to assess the damage to Spellow Library and bring it back into use as quickly as possible.”
Faith leaders across Merseyside acknowledged that communities affected by the Southport killings and subsequent violence are attempting to rebuild. In a joint statement, they said: “The people of all faiths and none who came out to sweep the streets, rebuild walls, and have so generously donated money in memory of those three girls: that is the spirit that will help us through this incredibly challenging time.”
“While this week’s events may continue to shake our belief in humanity, it remains intact. We need to remain calm and peaceful at this time, and as faith leaders, we are united in our desire for peace and justice. Now is the time to take pride in our community spirit again.”
“Within our different communities, we pray for all those affected. We wish for all those injured to make a full recovery.”
