Three people have been charged following a protest to prevent a coach from taking a group of asylum seekers to Bibby Stockholm barge.
In total 44 people, who were against the action due to ‘human rights’ concerns, were arrested on Thursday 2 May outside the Best Western Hotel in Peckham.
Police claimed ‘a number of their officers were assaulted’ after protestors blocked the road and the tyres of the coach were ‘deflated.’
Today (Tuesday, May 7) a Met Police spokesperson confirmed three have been charged with ‘obstruction of the highway’ whilst the other 42 people have been bailed. One was not part of the protest group.
The coach was supposed to take a group of asylum seekers to the vessel but it never did.
Bibby Stockholm is a site, moored in Dorset, that the government is using to house people waiting for asylum applications to be approved.
Since last August, there have been various problems associated with the barge – including outbreaks of diseases and even one death, reportedly by suicide.
One of the asylum seekers told the News they had tried to appeal the Home Office action, but their reasons were ‘rejected.’
The man, who volunteers at the Southwark Asylum Centre teaching English, explained he had lived at the hotel for the last seven months and felt ‘part of the community.’
The Home Office condemned the protest as ‘intimidatory and aggressive.’ They said the action was part of their commitment to significantly reducing the use of hotels for asylum seekers, ‘to reduce costs on the taxpayer.’
Following events on the day, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said: “It saddens me greatly to say that a number of officers have been assaulted in the course of their duty following an incident in Peckham today where they sought to uphold the law …Thankfully I’m glad that none of those are seriously hurt.”
Peckham Road was re-opened later that day.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan added: “There was one arrest for a racially aggravated public order offence. They were not part of the protest group.”
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