Hundreds join town centre demo
Hundreds of people marched through Dudley on Sunday in protest at the use of local hotels to house asylum seekers.
Around 200 anti-immigration demonstrators carrying Union flags gathered in Market Place before moving towards a hotel believed to be accommodating asylum seekers.
A smaller group of 20 to 30 counter-protesters assembled nearby, some carrying Palestine flags. Police maintained a visible presence throughout, with officers in hi-vis jackets and helmets lining the streets to keep the groups apart.
West Midlands Police later confirmed there were no arrests and only minor traffic disruption.
Council leader takes tough stance
Dudley Council’s Conservative leader, Patrick Harley, has ordered a legal review to see if the authority can challenge the Home Office over the use of hotels in the borough.
Speaking before the protest, he said his stance had “probably calmed things down” by showing residents that Dudley was taking a firmer approach than many other councils. “We only have one hotel in the authority being used in this way,” he added.
Harley said he recognised the strength of feeling in the community. “This is an issue that is very emotive, so I can understand why people want to protest. But it has to be a peaceful protest and not the scenes we’ve seen in other parts of the UK recently,” he told reporters.
Police balance rights and safety
West Midlands Police said both the demonstration and counter-protest passed “without significant incident”. A spokesman added: “Our priority is always to keep people safe. We must balance the right to freedom of expression with the need to tackle crime and ensure public safety. The right to peaceful and lawful protest is a fundamental element of any democracy.”
Images from the day showed demonstrators gathered beneath an ornamental archway in the town, with some protesters stripped to the waist in baseball caps and others draped in Union flags.
Local reaction divided
The protest reflects growing tensions across the country as the government continues to use hotels to house asylum seekers while longer-term accommodation is secured.
While Harley said he welcomed peaceful protests, he warned against “damaging property, making threats and really not bringing a good look to our borough”.
For now, Dudley avoided the violent clashes seen elsewhere in the UK in recent weeks. But with the council seeking legal means to block hotels from being used, the dispute over asylum housing in the Black Country town looks set to continue.
