Tbree people have been arrested following incidents of disorder outside a hotel housing asylum seekers on Merseyside yesterday evening
Violence broke out after police in Knowsley dealt with the two groups of originally peaceful protests before the demonstration descended into chaos outside the Suites Hotel in Ribblers Lane.
During the evening, missiles have been thrown towards officers and damage caused to a police vehicle. No injuries have been reported at this time.
A total of three people have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and taken to police stations to be questioned.
Additional officers are in the area to deal with these incidents and ensure the safety of those in the area. We are also taking measures to record the actions of those present to gather further evidence.
Road closures remain in place so continue to avoid the area where possible.
Assistant Chief Constable Paul White said: “We will always respect the right to protest when these are peaceful, but the scenes tonight were completely unacceptable, putting those present, our officers and the wider community in danger. Thankfully we have not had any serious injuries reported up to this point, but for officers and police vehicles to be damaged in the course of their duty protecting the public is disgraceful.
“We have arrested some of those suspects and will continue without hesitation to review all and any evidence which comes in, through CCTV, images or other information you may have.
“I would also like to strongly remind not to post comments, footage or information on our channels but instead to pass it directly to officers via our social media desk @MerPolCC on Twitter or ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook with reference 1149. We will act swiftly upon all information given to identify any further offences and put those involved before the courts.”
Liverpool Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said
“Our area has been a sanctuary for people seeking refuge for centuries.
The disturbing scenes in Knowsley aren’t representative of our area or its people. Hatred is not welcome here.
Council leader Graham Morgan: ‘The behaviour of those involved was totally unacceptable and has put safety of the local community, police officers & our emergency services on the scene, at risk’
