Met Police Clarify: “We Have Not Banned Protests Outside Britannia Hotel” — Action Taken Against Harassment, Not Lawful Protest
Overview
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The police/" title="Metropolitan Police" rel="nofollow">Metropolitan Police have issued a statement denying claims that they have banned protests outside the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf, clarifying that only a specific group engaged in harassment and disruptive behaviour was dispersed under legal powers.
Met Police Clarify: “We Have Not Banned Protests Outside Britannia Hotel” — Action Taken Against Harassment, Not Lawful Protest
A Met spokesperson said:
“We have not banned protests outside the Britannia International Hotel. Officers policed a protest for a considerable time today, but a group remained who were harassing occupants of the hotel and staff, trying to prevent people accessing the hotel to make deliveries, and making concerted efforts to breach the fencing and access the hotel.
Met Police Clarify: “We Have Not Banned Protests Outside Britannia Hotel” — Action Taken Against Harassment, Not Lawful Protest
Their actions went well beyond protest to harassment, and we used powers under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 to order that specific group to leave and not return for 28 days.
If a different group wishes to protest in the vicinity of the hotel, they are not banned from doing so, providing they do so lawfully.”
Context of the Incident
The protest, part of ongoing demonstrations against the Home Office’s use of hotels for asylum seeker accommodation, escalated when a group of individuals allegedly attempted to harass hotel occupants and staff, blocked deliveries, and made attempts to breach the hotel’s fencing.
Police officers used Dispersal Orders under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, which allows them to move individuals causing harassment or alarm and prevent their return for a set period — in this case, 28 days.
Lawful Protest Still Permitted
The Met emphasised that other groups are free to protest in the area, provided their actions remain within the law.
This clarification comes after misinformation circulated online, suggesting that all protests outside the Britannia Hotel had been banned.
Police remain at the scene to ensure public safety and monitor any further demonstrations.
