Tory Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson has expressed sympathy towards individuals participating in protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers.
Recently, a series of demonstrations have taken place across Britain, with the most high-profile protest occurring in Knowsley in Merseyside last month.
The protest was said to have been sparked by anger over an online video of a schoolgirl who claimed she was sexually harassed by a 25-year-old man allegedly staying at the venue.
The protest turned violent, resulting in 15 arrests and a daytime curfew imposed to protect asylum seekers living in the Suites Hotel.
Asylum seekers have been kept in several hotels nationwide as the government tackles a backlog of cases, leading to cancelling weddings and other events.
Demonstrations have continued, with a rally of around 200 people in Skegness, Lincolnshire, and a protest and counter-protest occurring outside the Beresford Hotel in Newquay, Cornwall.
Patriotic Alternative led the Skegness demonstration, a far-right group designated as such by anti-racist campaigners Hope Not Hate.
Mark Collett and Laura Towler, who Hope Not Hate say are leaders of the group, were among those who gave speeches at the rally.
Marchers clutched banners stating ‘no more refugees,’ while people chanted ‘we want our country back.’
In Newquay, around 100 counter-protesters gathered outside the hotel, with some holding signs saying ‘Refugees welcome’ and ‘Seeking asylum is a right, not a crime.’
On the other side of the street, an opposing group of around 100 people stood, with one person holding a sign saying: ‘You are anti-white racists.’
During an interview with the BBC’s Political Thinking podcast, Anderson discussed his belief that sudden changes in a community can cause concern for individuals.
He also spoke about his belief that people struggling with the cost of living were more resourceful in previous decades.
Anderson shared anecdotes about his childhood, stating that “perhaps if some people today could go back in a time machine and see how we lived, they’d think we were very poor. But I didn’t see that at the time.”
»Lee Anderson expresses sympathy towards protesters«
↯↯↯Read More On The Topic On TDPel Media ↯↯↯