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tv   BBC News  BBC News  August 4, 2024 4:00pm-4:31pm BST

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police officers battle to contain a riot at a rotherham hotel believed to be housing asylum seekers. those people who have been involved in this disorder over the last few days will be found by the police, will be arrested, will be taken through the courts. israel strikes targets in southern lebanon, after hezbollah fires a barrage of rockets across the border. and it's day nine of the olympics — with djokovic going head—to—head with alcaraz in the men's tennis final. we'll bring you the latest from paris. hello and welcome. we start here in the uk, where there have been more violent far right protests in england. these are the latest pictures from rotherham in yorkshire.
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hundreds of people have gathered outside a hotel believed to be housing asylum seekers. the demonstrators broke windows, threw projectiles and police, and a number of fires have been set alight outside the building. chants of "get them out" could be heard outside by the far right protesters. at one stage, a large bin was set on fire and used to break through a window of the buildings. some demonstrators could then be seen entering through the hole and throwing chairs back out into the crowds. more than 100 people were arrested on saturday after demonstrations organised by the far right descended into scenes of violence in towns and cities across england and northern ireland. the government insists that the police have "all the resources they need" to deal with the disorder. many of the demonstrations have been fuelled by anti—immigrant sentiment. with me is our reporter nickjohnson. we saw some of the images there from
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rotherham. just update us on what we're seeing at the moment? the icture in we're seeing at the moment? tue: picture in rotherham we're seeing at the moment? tte: picture in rotherham change in the last hour so, a handful of protests outside that hotel. that group appeared to get larger and more aggressive. we saw pictures of chairs being thrown at the hotel, windows broken around the hotel. this hotel, just outside rotherham, holiday inn express, believed to house a number of migrants temporarily. the police did turn up, we saw images of police with riot shields, helmets, surrounding the hotel. before that line a police officers was able to surround the hotel, we saw pictures of the wheelie bin being set on fire by one of the entrances of the hotel. we saw a window which we believed was round the side of the hotel, being smashed. what looked like some people being able to get inside the hotel. we actually had from one of our reporters, the people did manage to get in the hotel. one woman who
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lives locally dead join up process —— dead join that protest, she did tell the bbc that the signs at the hotel are aptly barbaric and this is not what we are here for. we have also seen pictures of one police officer having to be supported by one of his colleagues, staggering away from the hotel. as i say, some protesters appear to have got inside the hotel. it is not clear how many. in the last few minutes, we have had from the iht, the company that owns holiday inn express. they say there priority is the staff and the safety of people inside at hotel. certainly a worrying situation that hotel in rotherham. a worrying situation that hotel in rotherham-— rotherham. one of their anti-immigration - rotherham. one of their . anti-immigration protesters rotherham. one of their - anti-immigration protesters you anti—immigration protesters you mentioned, who said i came here to protest but this is not what they were here for. is that a reflection of what we are seeing and some of
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the protests taking place today? are we seeing people who are protesting for anti—immigration reasons but it is not descending into this? i suppose, just to get a picture of how much of what we are seeing now outside this hotel in rotherham is being reflected elsewhere. are we seeing more of the theme that we saw many places yesterday where you had anti—immigration protest but passing off relatively peacefully? tt is off relatively peacefully? it is difficult to — off relatively peacefully? it is difficult to say _ off relatively peacefully? it is difficult to say how _ off relatively peacefully? te 3 difficult to say how many of those people at these protests are intent on causing trouble or who are perhaps shocked by what they are seeing. yesterday we had those protests in leeds, bristol, hull, blackpool and liverpool and certain elements there was trouble, as we saw and there are play—test on today not just saw and there are play—test on today notjust in rotherham, middlesbrough as well, sheffield and bolton. we had about that disposal order issued
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by police in bolton. our colleagues from bbc are on the ground and we have had some people behind the camera on social media that hk can say by what they are saying, that woman as i mentioned, she said at the scenes are absolutely barbaric, this is not what we are here for. that is certainly echoed by others who have been at these protests, perhaps shocked by the level of violence and aggression they have seen. it is hard to say how many people at these protests are here intent on causing trouble but we have certainly seen that in the past 24 have certainly seen that in the past 2a hours. that protest in middlesbrough and sheffield under way as well as in rotherham at the moment. , , , ., , moment. this is 'ust the latest in what has been _ moment. this isjust the latest in what has been unrest _ moment. this isjust the latest in what has been unrest in - moment. this isjust the latest in what has been unrest in the - moment. this isjust the latest in what has been unrest in the last. moment. this isjust the latest in i what has been unrest in the last few days. the police have insisted they have all the resources they need. this is going to have required a lot of resources from the police in the past few days?— of resources from the police in the ast few da s? , ., , past few days? yes, we have seen the iece past few days? yes, we have seen the piece turned — past few days? yes, we have seen the piece turned up _ past few days? yes, we have seen the
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piece turned up en _ past few days? yes, we have seen the piece turned up en masse _ past few days? yes, we have seen the piece turned up en masse in _ past few days? yes, we have seen the piece turned up en masse in a - past few days? yes, we have seen the piece turned up en masse in a number of his places in the past few days. clearly prepared for whatever eventuality should unfold but indeed, this is a number of police forces that are having to direct a lot of their resources to these protests at the moment. and i have been a number over the past few days, friday and then yesterday and today as well, and there are some planned for later in the day as well. it is across the country, so police forces are having to direct their resources to these protests. what we are seeing at the moment, these are live pictures from the scene in rotherham that viewers will be seeing live there, where you can see the line of police pushing people back now. obviously, we will have to hear from people back now. obviously, we will have to hearfrom our people back now. obviously, we will have to hear from our report on the scene and a little bit to find out exactly what the situation is. how far does it seem that police at all of these locations that we have seen
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today earlier today, how far we believe it would keep things within order —— why police are able to keep things within order? in order -- why police are able to keep things within order?— things within order? in terms of the hotel protest _ things within order? in terms of the hotel protest at _ things within order? in terms of the hotel protest at rotherham, - things within order? in terms of the hotel protest at rotherham, we - things within order? in terms of the | hotel protest at rotherham, we have not had any official word from south yorkshire police but it did appear around even an hour ago, that the police were outnumbered. they were struggling to contain people, to keep them back from the hotel and as we say, we did see footage of what appear to be people being able to get inside that hotel with perhaps a minimal a get inside that hotel with perhaps a minimala number of get inside that hotel with perhaps a minimal a number of police officers trying to stop them. that appears to have changed in the past 40 minutes or so. there is a much larger presence of the south yorkshire police officers. looking at is live pictures now those officers, appearing to have more of a grasp of control outside that hotel and it appears from what we are seeing that
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police are now able to stop people from a jury that hotel. they are standing around the building. they still have their helmets and riot shields on. people have been throwing projectiles, chairs thrown at the building but it largely looks at the building but it largely looks at the building but it largely looks at the moment that police are able to keep those protests back from the hotel, perhaps on and they were not able to do an hour ago.— able to do an hour ago. amongst all this, there — able to do an hour ago. amongst all this, there have _ able to do an hour ago. amongst all this, there have been _ able to do an hour ago. amongst all this, there have been calls - able to do an hour ago. amongst all this, there have been calls for - able to do an hour ago. amongst all this, there have been calls for calm | this, there have been calls for calm and i havejust had to now something that has come from merseyside, where faith leaders that have called from communities to remain calm and peaceful in the aftermath of the southport killings. and the faith leaders have said that some people have sought to use the tragedy to create division and hate. this is a message that we have been hearing from community leaders and council leaders across the country. yes. from community leaders and council leaders across the country.- leaders across the country. yes, we have not
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leaders across the country. yes, we have got to — leaders across the country. yes, we have got to be _ leaders across the country. yes, we have got to be a _ leaders across the country. yes, we have got to be a bit _ leaders across the country. yes, we have got to be a bit careful- leaders across the country. yes, we have got to be a bit careful in - have got to be a bit careful in terms of how much of a link we are drawing between these protests and the terrible tragic incident we saw in southport last week. a lot of the protests we have seen are perhaps being organised by far right groups over the past few days and are talking more broadly about immigration, about asylum seekers. we have heard from a lot of community leaders and people based in the nearby area, in the party minutes we have had from the south yorkshire mayor who says he is utterly appalled by the violence in rotherham today. he said it is brutal thuggery, directed towards the most honourable people in our society was a piece of the people carrying out these attacks taxi not represent the beautiful place and people i know. he said, we will come out of the people carry out this violence with the full force of the
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law. we have had that from police forces across the country throughout the last few days, even if a handful of arrests have made at these protests, police forces have kelly said, we are coming after you even after the protest are finished. we have been hearing from other leaders and spokespeople that they are voicing concerns that the anti—immigration protests are distinctly different from some of the scenes we are seeing, where things are being thrown at police, buildings are being damaged. a little earlier, viewers or some footage that was filmed on a phone and that was actually filmed by one of our reporters who is at the scene in rotherham. next, stay with us, we will be coming back to you in a moment but let's go to our reporter ollie constable is in rotherham. he is actually behind the camera so ollie, thank you for filming those scenes live for us now. we can see what is happening. just talk us
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through what you have seen in the time we have been there? t through what you have seen in the time we have been there?- through what you have seen in the time we have been there? i have been here for about — time we have been there? i have been here for about an _ time we have been there? i have been here for about an hour _ time we have been there? i have been here for about an hour and _ time we have been there? i have been here for about an hour and a _ time we have been there? i have been here for about an hour and a half. - here for about an hour and a half. that has been what is happening in that time, police officers from neighbouring forces as well as south yorkshire police and transport police. the amount of people that were here, they totally feel the car park outside the hotel. when i arrived, there was fire, a bed had been set alight and thrown towards the hotel —— had been. people trying to enter the hotel. in the last 45 minute police have taken charge of the situation and made people away from the area. this is one of the main roads towards the hotel. i will spin the camera around to give you an idea of what is behind me. there is quite a long road all the way back from the hotel, a number of fire have been set alight. the
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police have advanced quite a long way down this road to try and restore their control of their situation. i will spin the camera back around now. the crowd behind the police line have seriously dispersed. there is still a small amount of people but certainly a lot less than what we had in the last hour or so. we less than what we had in the last hour or so— hour or so. we are seeing other footaae hour or so. we are seeing other footage from — hour or so. we are seeing other footage from the _ hour or so. we are seeing other footage from the scene - hour or so. we are seeing other footage from the scene now. i hour or so. we are seeing other. footage from the scene now. this hour or so. we are seeing other- footage from the scene now. this is also live from the scene from the other side of where you are filming. we are getting a broad picture of what is happening there. just to say, one of our reporters there as well said that he had been speaking to a woman who lived in rotherham, who joined the anti—immigration protest earlier, which later dispersed and said that the scenes that we are seeing in the hotel are absolutely barbaric and not what we are here for. just briefly,
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apologies for anyone offended by the language used in those live shots. did you get a sense of how people were feeling at the protest there earlier? ~ , ., ., , earlier? when i first arrived, i was taken to a — earlier? when i first arrived, i was taken to a colleague _ earlier? when i first arrived, i was taken to a colleague who - earlier? when i first arrived, i was taken to a colleague who has - earlier? when i first arrived, i wasj taken to a colleague who has been here for a considerable amount of time. people may have come down here in good faith to voice what they are feeling but certainly, that is not people who are still here now. these are people who are wearing balaclavas, facemasks, who have been hiding their faces throughout this. we have seen a number of arrests of people who are kicking the shell is police officers and they were arrested. dogs have been brought in as well as police. there have been a considerable amount of arrests. a lot of people are trying to cause trouble. in the last half an hour or so, it is a lot calmer. the rate is almost empty now. there are still a few people in the left hand side of the barriers. the number of police
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officers are certainly outweighing the amount people here trying to cause trouble. the police helicopters are above me. you can just about see the smoke from the fires on the right—hand side, so there is a lot of clean—up. the windows are smashed to pieces in the hotel behind me so there will be a lot of repair work needed for that. because viewers watching at the moment are notjust because viewers watching at the moment are not just from because viewers watching at the moment are notjust from within the uk but around the world, it is properly worth explain the link between what we are seeing and the hotel. ijust want between what we are seeing and the hotel. i just want to read between what we are seeing and the hotel. ijust want to read out between what we are seeing and the hotel. i just want to read out what the local mp, sarah champion, has been saying. she says she is extremely concerned at escalating violence at a hotel higher seeing asylum seekers today. having had any confirmation as to whether there are signs it is being housed there, just to make the link clear to viewers who may not be familiar with the area? fist who may not be familiar with the area? �* �* �* who may not be familiar with the area? “, area? at the bbc previously understood _
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area? at the bbc previously understood that _ area? at the bbc previously understood that this - area? at the bbc previously understood that this hotel. area? at the bbc previously i understood that this hotel was area? at the bbc previously - understood that this hotel was used to house asylum seekers in the uk. september 20—2 was when asylum seekers started arriving so we do understand that the are still here at the property. when we were outside the hotel, the trouble was in the grounds of the hotel car park, people wore on the top floors, looking out of the windows and windows below them while being smashed. we do understand that there are asylum seekers who are in the hotel. a bit of the change in the last half an hour that the fires that were set in the ground floor areas of the hotel, not necessarily inside but certainly the smoke had gone into the building, the fire alarm had gone off which meant that the fire service... two police helicopters above me now. the fire service were brought in and asked that they could look at evacuating the hotel because the risk of fire and smoke in the building. we are now a distance away from the hotel
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as pleased decide what the next course of action will be. set, as pleased decide what the next course of action will be. b. lat as pleased decide what the next course of action will be.- course of action will be. a lot of --eole course of action will be. a lot of people have _ course of action will be. a lot of people have expressed - course of action will be. a lot of people have expressed over - course of action will be. a lot of people have expressed over the course of action will be. a lot of - people have expressed over the past few days they fear they are feeling about the applicability of the way in which his process had been happening. have you been able to speak to the residents of rotherham and how they feel that what is happening? to and how they feel that what is happening?— and how they feel that what is haueninr? ., , ., , , happening? to my right hand side is a housin: happening? to my right hand side is a housing estate. _ happening? to my right hand side is a housing estate. so _ happening? to my right hand side is a housing estate. so there - happening? to my right hand side is a housing estate. so there is - happening? to my right hand side is a housing estate. so there is a - a housing estate. so there is a housing estate and we have seen
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face coverings used to describe or conceal their appearance, so that is in order being brought in a to bolton, something greater manchester police have just brought in or announce they have brought in and we also heard from ollie in rotherham earlier, our reporter ollie constable talking about the fact that a lot of the people there, many of them were wearing balaclavas. let's bring in our reporter, nick johnson, who is now in the studio for me to talk a bit more about some of the police response but also what's the political reaction is. we have heard from sarah champion, the
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local mp, the member of parliament for rotherham, and she has said in the past hour or so that she is extremely concerned at the escalating violence we are seeing at that holiday inn hotel and a people causing damage and attacking police, she says, do not represent our town and i am disgusted by their actions. she says, this is criminal disorder and intimidation, not to protest. we have also heard from the south yorkshire may in the past hour or so, who echoes those sentiments. oliver, haward says he is utterly appalled by the violence in rotherham today and says what we are seeing today is not protest, it is brutal thuggery directed towards the most vulnerable people in our society and he goes on to say, the people carrying out these attacks do not represent the beautiful, brilliant place and the people i know and we will come after those
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carrying out this violence with the full force of the law stop we are also expecting to hear from the prime minister in a short time to hear what he has had to say about the developments over the weekend as well but as you mentioned, this is notjust well but as you mentioned, this is not just about rotherham well but as you mentioned, this is notjust about rotherham today but about other towns and cities, especially in the north of england and bolton in greater manchester, as you mentioned, police have put in place a dispersal order there but also a order that requires people to remove their face coverings as and when they are requested to do so. as well as rotherham and bolton, we have middlesbrough in the north—east of england where it is bought around 300 people are marching through the town carrying banners and chanting. we have heard that protesters have reportedly broken free in the past hour or so of the police guard there and taxis were targeted and some businesses have had to close early as well. we have seen police having to use dogs to hold protesters back
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and middlesbrough as well as other cities. i willjustjump in to point out that these pictures that viewers are seeing now are images from middlesbrough, so we were showing images from rotherham a bit earlier but this is the scene a bit earlier in middlesbrough. carry on nick, i just wanted to show you that. de scenes just wanted to show you that. the: scenes in middlesbrough, just wanted to show you that. tie: scenes in middlesbrough, they are geographically very different to the process we have seen in what rome and in what room those protests were very much taking aim at that holiday inn, that hotel we think has been used to house asylum seekers and this protest end middlesbrough, similar to some of the protests we have seen over the past couple of days, protesters going through the streets of the city with police having to follow them and we have seen some counter protests in a number of cases as well but local police in middlesbrough say they have made a number of arrests and are asking people to leave the town
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centre. as we heard from our reporter in rotherham, or leave, it is clear that when things have been getting ugly at these protests, a number of protesters have decided that now would be the time for them to leave and it has led to a much smaller, perhaps more aggressive element that have stayed and launched those projectiles towards police. we have heard about a number of protests over the past couple of days of families protesting as well and people who have been at those protests have been upset at politicians labelling them all as far right when they have said actually a number of people who have been protesting our parents with their children just keen to express their children just keen to express their points of view. but it certainly has looked like in what room and in middlesbrough at the moment when police asked people to leave the area to leave those town centres there is only a small number of people, perhaps there is more aggressive element of people remaining. —— rotherham and
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middlesbrough. in the past half hour or so, we have seen in what room that police have managed to regain control of the situation and they have been able to line up along the main road and keep people a bit further away from that hotel, even as much as an hour or so ago, it did look like the protesters outside that hotel were outnumbering police, they were able to launch projectiles at that hotel and we saw some windows smashed and we also saw a wheelie bin being set on fire and used outside one of the doors of the hotel and we have seen a number of protesters, we don't know how many, gain access to that hotel and we do understand that hotel has been used to house asylum seekers and we don't know if there are any there at the moment and how many but we have seen footage of people clearly in that hotel, in those upstairs windows which we assume are the hotel rooms looking out at what has been happening there and we can only
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imagine how they are feeling. what it must be absolutely terrifying from that vantage point and just to say, the way these protests have been organised is distinctly something that is using social media to disseminate these messages so just tell it is a bit about the way these have been organised. the key to this, over the last few days, we have seen a list of locations where these protests are due to take place and obviously when we see, people have uploaded or even live streams where they have been able to film the location where they are alive and put it immediately on social media sites, people who are behind the cameras, film and there streams have unable to call on others who are in the local area to join the protest. the last few days,
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we have had from punitive leaders in these cities, work to be rather, blackpool, sheffield, middlesbrough, a lot of these protesters who have turned up they are not from the local area and it is social media watchers have encouraged to come from further afield. protesters organise on the social media in a number of ways, whether it is in advance or whether people were able to capitalise on those live streams at the protest. when thatjust to say we are returning to pictures, these are images from rotherham now. we showed you scenes from middlesbrough, where there were protests and unrest taking place but this is now back to rotherham where as we have been mentioning, there
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has been violence and unrest outside a hotel there. this is the latest unrest after pockets of unrest we have seen in cities in england and northern ireland over the past few days. let's go back to nickjohnson in the studio with me now. in terms of what the authorities are trying to do in order to deal with the ramifications of this. one of the things the authority said was speeding up prosecutions as well. irate speeding up prosecutions as well. - had some unconfirmed reports that courts would be open 2a hours a day to deal with offences as a result of this. those aren't confirmed, we are not entirely sure how true some of
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those reports are. that is sort of what happened in the aftermath of the london riots in 2011, there are so many racks at the court had to open outside of office hours to deal with a number of people arrested. we don't yet know if that is the case here. we don't yet have concrete numbers on how many arrests have been made since the weekend and before the weekend. it is still very fluid situation and police forces who are based on these towns and cities which have been subject to this violence are very much saying that whilst arrests have been made at the protest, police forces will come after people in the aftermath of these protests and they see while only a handful of protests that he might arrests have been made at the protest themselves, please have a very clear that they will come after people who have caused unrest that this process. people who have caused unrest that this process-— people who have caused unrest that this process— this process. images that we have seen over the _
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this process. images that we have seen over the last _ this process. images that we have seen over the last few _ this process. images that we have seen over the last few days - this process. images that we have seen over the last few days and i this process. images that we have | seen over the last few days and on the bbc website, the tab for picking up the bbc website, the tab for picking up the cost of the damage for this. there is a huge amount of damage that we have seen on our screens. where does the clean—up begin? there where does the clean-up begin? there has been a lot — where does the clean-up begin? there has been a lot of— where does the clean-up begin? there has been a lot of damage, _ where does the clean—up begin? ttee has been a lot of damage, and he will pick up the bill for all of it? certainly, the people who live and work there, you would have thought would be some of them. on sunderland, on friday night, a city in the north—east of england, we saw a police office that had been set on fire in the middle of town. we also saw a citizens advice office that looked like it had been caught up in those attacks the people who are watching overseas, citizens advice is often people who provide advice and support people on low incomes across the country. we have also seen looting from high street stores and we have seen damage in all those instances as well. we saw a lot of
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those scenes

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