Janine GriffithsAnti-racism campaigners gathered outside the Britannia Hotel in Seacroft last Friday, mounting a counter-protest to an anti-migrant demonstration held at the same site.
Counter-protesters from Stand Up to Racism, local representatives and community organisers joined forces to challenge what they described as a dangerous escalation of anti-migrant agitation.
Their presence in Seacroft formed part of a growing wave of community-led counter-demonstrations across the UK, aimed at pushing back against far-right activity targeting hotels housing asylum seekers.
Chanting slogans in support of refugees and holding placards denouncing racism, demonstrators said they were determined to show that Leeds would not be a place where hatred goes unchallenged.
East Leeds MP Richard Burgon, who joined the counter-protest, said in a post on Facebook:
“I was proud to join constituents at the Stand Up To Racism counter-demonstration in East Leeds. The far right offers no answers – just division.
“We need to build a mass movement against racism and the scapegoating of migrants and minorities and for a better society for the 99%.”
Hotels like the Britannia in Seacroft have been used to house asylum seekers due to long-standing delays and overcrowding in the UK’s asylum system. Protesters say this housing crisis has been exploited by far-right groups attempting to stir local resentment.
Over the past two years, towns and cities across England – including Knowsley, Rotherham, and Dunstable – have seen similar confrontations outside asylum accommodation, often fuelled by online misinformation and conspiracy theories. However, in many cases, local residents and anti-racist groups have mobilised in response, determined to counter what they see as a growing far-right threat.
Further protests and counter-protests are expected this Friday 8 August, again outside the Seacroft hotel, with campaigners calling on the wider community to show support for refugees and to stand against division.
