Anti-refugee protests outside the Brook Hotel, Norwich

A group called the East Anglian Patriots had organised a demonstration against the Best Western Brook Hotel in Barnard Road - which has been hosting migrants since late 2022.

The rally began in Roys car park, Bowthorpe, where around 50 members gathered in preparation for a march to the hotel.

Around 50 members of the East Anglian Patriots showed up to the initial protest at Roys car park (Image: William Warnes)

There, organisers declared they were "not far right", but "not far wrong". 

"We will go to every city in the UK to stop the migrants," one speaker said.

"Today we have people not just from Norwich, but also Ipswich and Colchester.

"We are all patriots.

People had come from as far as Ipswich and Colchester to attend the protest (Image: William Warnes)

"Enough is enough and we need to stand up to this so-called government."

The group played Winston Churchill speeches and sang God Save The King as they arrived at the Brook Hotel - where they were greeted by a crowd of more than 200 people.

The protest was organised by a group called the East Anglian Patriots (Image: William Warnes)

"Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here," the counter-protesters chanted.

The event was monitored by a heavy police presence and officers were on standby all the way from Roys to the hotel entrance.

"These people are human beings," said John Cooper - a member of the pro-refugee group. 

The pro-refugee counter-protest (Image: William Warnes)

"They're not illegal immigrants. They are refugees fleeing war and persecution.

"Some have had to leave their families.

"You don't do that unless it's absolutely necessary."

Reverend Mark Elvin (left), John Cooper (middle) and Patrick Neale (right) (Image: William Warnes)

The Brook Hotel was one of two in Norwich chosen by the Home Office to be a temporary home for people seeking asylum.

It has around 80 bedrooms and a capacity for 172.

"People are always saying we need to stop the boats," said Patrick Neale, who was also there in support of the migrants.

The Brook Hotel was one of two in Norwich chosen by the Home Office to be a temporary home for people seeking asylum (Image: Newsquest)

"And we do, but for the right reasons.

"The government needs to provide safe passage for these people. 

"Number 10 has created this problem themselves by not doing that."

Around half an hour into the demonstrations, a member of the East Anglian Patriots crossed the road to ask the opposition for food. 

A police officer was quick to intervene, but tensions cooled when someone running the food stand put together what looked like a sandwich for him.

One of the East Anglian Patriots (right) crossed the road to ask for food from the pro-refugee counter-protesters (Image: William Warnes)

Rev Mark Elvin, minister of Bowthorpe Church, said: "We live in a free country and people are allowed to protest. 

"We want to say that everyone is welcome in Norwich.

"I know some of these people in the hotels and they are here to live and work like everyone else.

"They are here to give, not to take."

Campaigners were chanting say it loud say it clear refugees are welcome here (Image: William Warnes)

Multiple businesses in the area had distanced themselves from the far right protesters.

Roys was forced to close for the day "to protect our staff and community", while promotional material mentioning The Norkie in Bowthorpe and the Cherry Tree in Costessey prompted bosses at both pubs to tell the group they would not be welcome.

"There is no way these refugees are a threat to British people," said Martin Booth, a retired health worker from Cromer. 

L-R: Terry Skyrme, Martin Booth and Bev Broadhead (Image: William Warnes)

"We need to show that Norwich is a welcoming place and against the politics of organisations like this.

"These views do not represent our city.

"I am concerned that this sort of behaviour has been encouraged by the dangerous rhetoric of our government.

"The words of the home secretary, Suella Braverman, will have an impact on groups like this."

The protest was monitored by a heavy police presence (Image: William Warnes)

In April, inflammatory graffiti was sprayed onto the roundabout overlooking the Brook Hotel saying 'migrants out'.

Norwich City Council subsequently had the message scrubbed away.

Labour MP for Norwich South, Clive Lewis, was in attendance to support the pro-migrant counter-protest.

Norwich South MP Clive Lewis (Image: William Warnes)

He said that the right wing protesters "are not welcome in our city". 

He added: "We won't let them intimidate migrants and refugees.

"We all have a choice to make.

"Buy into intimidation or buy into love and compassion."

The counter-demonstration took place outside the Brook Hotel (Image: William Warnes)