Police arrest 5 in London anti-immigration protest

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON

At least five people have been arrested in clashes during immigration protests in south London Saturday.

Police used metal barriers to contain anti-immigration protesters in front of Home Office’s Immigration and Nationality Directorate building in Croydon.

Clashes between anti-immigration and anti-fascist groups led to arrests.

“Five individuals were arrested in protests in Croydon,” Metropolitan Police told the Anadolu Agency.

Reker Ahmed, a Kurdish Iranian teenager who is an asylum seeker was attacked and beaten to a critical condition in Croydon last month and drew the reaction of pro-immigration campaigners.

More than a dozen people were arrested and some of them were charged with racially aggravated grievous bodily harm after the attack.

Hate crimes based on nationality or faith have skyrocketed across England and Wales since the country voted to leave the European Union last year after a Leave campaign mostly constructed around anti-immigration sentiments.