A man in his early 20s has been arrested on suspicion of common assault after allegedly bursting into a blind woman’s flat in Tower Hamlets, as protests continue to engulf the Britannia Hotel housing asylum seekers in Canary Wharf.
The suspect, who had been living at the controversial four-star hotel, was detained by Metropolitan Police in Hackney in the early hours of this morning following the incident on Wednesday night on the Isle of Dogs.
According to witnesses, the man entered the property after being followed by a group of men in the street who told him to “go back to the hotel” where anti-immigration protesters had gathered. Footage circulating on social media showed him being detained by members of the public near the scene.
Our investigation continued on Thursday, with officers carrying out extensive CCTV enquiries and speaking to witnesses,” a Met Police spokesperson said. “We can confirm that this is the man who allegedly entered the flat. He is now in police custody.”
In a dramatic twist, Channay Augustus, 22, who lives at the flat that was entered, has been charged with multiple offences including possession of an offensive weapon, affray, assault on an emergency worker, common assault and possession of cannabis.
Police confirmed the charges of affray and common assault relate to an altercation at the Britannia Hotel later on Wednesday evening, with the alleged victim being a security guard at the hotel rather than the man who entered her property.
Augustus, of Byng Street, Tower Hamlets, has been remanded in custody and will appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court later this morning.
A relative of the blind woman expressed fury at the police response, claiming officers initially returned the man to the hotel without questioning why he had entered the property. “My young niece was in the property as well with my sister. She was so worried,” she told reporters.
“They had no idea what his intentions were. They feared for their lives. He could have been anyone or capable of anything.”
The woman accused police of “two-tier policing”, adding: “But you get arrested for standing up to them. It’s an absolute disgrace. I’m horrified at what has happened. It’s disgusting. It’s a joke.”
The incident comes amid escalating tensions at the Britannia International Hotel, which has become a flashpoint for anti-immigration protests since Tower Hamlets Council confirmed it had been handed over to the Home Office to house asylum seekers.
Another group of approximately 50 migrants arrived at the hotel yesterday morning, brought to the site in coaches at 5:34am and hurried inside by guards to avoid cameras, according to witnesses.
The luxury hotel in Marsh Wall has been surrounded by metal fencing and a heavy police presence for weeks, with rival groups of protesters and counter-demonstrators regularly clashing outside.
Anti-immigration protesters, many wearing Union Jack flags and face coverings, have gathered daily since the council’s announcement. Signs reading “my streets, my choice” and “forced hosting is NOT democracy” have become common sights at the demonstrations.
Sabby Dhalu, co-founder of Stand Up to Racism, warned that this weekend marked “the greatest number of protests targeting refugees in hotels since last year’s racist riots”, with her organisation staging counter-demonstrations to defend asylum seekers.
The hotel controversy has exposed deep divisions in Tower Hamlets, which has the highest rate of child poverty in the UK and an overall poverty rate nearly double the London average.
Local residents have expressed frustration that asylum seekers are receiving full-board accommodation while they struggle with the cost of living crisis. One protester told The Spectator: “There’s people here that work hard, day in and day out. They can’t afford a place like this. Why are they getting it?”
Hotel staff reportedly received redundancy letters when the property was converted to asylum accommodation, with existing guest bookings cancelled at short notice, sparking fury among customers.
The situation mirrors unrest at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, where protests erupted after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Some migrants at the Britannia are believed to have been transferred from the Epping facility.
Tower Hamlets Council has urged calm, stating: “It is important that the Government ensures that there is a full package of support for those staying at the hotel. We are working with the Home Office and partners to make sure that all necessary safety and safeguarding arrangements are in place.”
The Home Office has increasingly relied on hotels to accommodate asylum seekers as numbers have surged, with more than 25,000 migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the Channel so far this year. The government aims to end hotel use by 2029 but faces criticism for the slow pace of finding alternative accommodation.
As protests continue to intensify, police have imposed Public Order Act conditions to manage demonstrations, with officers forming barriers between opposing groups and making arrests when violence erupts.
The Met confirmed no other arrests have been made in connection with Wednesday’s incident but investigations continue as the capital braces for another weekend of demonstrations at asylum hotels across London.
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