Counter-Protests at Oldham Refugee Hotel
On Saturday 30th August, counter-protesters gathered in Oldham outside the Victoria Hotel to support refugees in response to a planned protest by right-wing groups.
There appeared to be very few local residents from Oldham on either side. The right-wing protesters were mostly YouTubers and live streamers seeking reactions from counter-protesters by shouting abuse.
Chants of “grooming gang lovers off our streets” were heard, alongside frequent transphobic slurs and other forms of hate speech. Accusations were also made that counter-protesters were being paid to be there. At one point, a protester appeared to perform a Nazi salute before attempting to disguise it as a wave, reminiscent of Elon Musk’s actions at Trump’s inauguration. The right-wing protesters also carried a black-and-white flag with a red cross, associated with the Knights Templar and its connotations of dying in battle for the honour of Christian warriors. A van displaying St. George’s flags also regularly patrolled the protest area, trying to drum up support for the right-wingers.
I spoke with Maria from Care4Calais who told The Northern Rose why she was supporting the refugees: “I go into the hotels, I meet the asylum seekers, I don’t recognise the rubbish that’s on the mainstream media. These are people who come from awful circumstances, who’ve had experiences that make me cold inside and all they want is a chance for a decent, dignified life.”
I asked Maria what she would say to the right-wing protesters. She replied: “Stop listening to headlines pushed by people with an agenda. Stop blaming the most vulnerable people in the world, they’re not your problem.”
I also spoke with Geoff Brown who said that the right-wingers “were being used. There are politicians who use divide and rule, who use all kind of lies.”
When it came time for the counter-protesters to leave, the right-wing demonstrators intensified their efforts to provoke a reaction. They shouted at and followed the counter-protesters all the way to the tram stop, unsettling many who had simply come to stand up for the most vulnerable.