Peckham Protesters Block Immigration Arrest, Man Freed After Crowd Sit-In
Drama in South-East London
On Saturday, a tense scene unfolded in Peckham as a crowd of protesters sat down in front of an immigration van, shouting “Let him go!” The man inside, reportedly Nigerian and suspected of overstaying his visa, was the focus of the demonstration.
Following the standoff, he was granted immigration bail and released.
Protesters Stand Firm Against Immigration Arrest
Met Police arrived at Evan Cook Close shortly after 1:30pm after reports of protesters blocking immigration officers. Eleanor Janega, one of those present, described how the crowd gathered after hearing about an “immigration raid”.
“We’d been sitting here blocking the van, eating ice cream. They brought in more cops and tried to push their way through the crowd. Everyone took a seat.”
Labour councillor Reginald Popoola said the crowd “encircled the van peacefully” but admitted some protesters were pushed during the scramble.
Police Struggle to Make Arrests
Activist Nicola from Stand Up To Racism said police eventually “gave up” trying to arrest people.
“Police attempted to arrest a number of activists near the front, but they were held up by others who were also sitting down, and the police gave up.”
After about half an hour of protest, officers finally unlocked the van doors and announced the man would be released on bail.
Official Response: No Tolerance for Obstruction
A Home Office spokeswoman condemned the actions of the protesters:
“Blocking or obstructing immigration enforcement teams from doing their job is unacceptable. Blocking or obstructing them will not deter them from carrying out the duties that the public rightly expects them to carry out.”
