Around 100 people gathered on Saturday outside the Tickled Trout Hotel near Samlesbury in Lancashire, which is housing Afghans who supported British troops and others who say they fled the country because they would be at risk from the Taliban, local media reported.
Protesters held England flags and banners calling for the removal of people they described as "foreign criminals." Two people were photographed sitting in an inflatable dinghy on the River Ribble unfurling a banner that read "ban foreign criminals." A small counter‑demonstration of about four people placed signs on the hotel's fence and spoke with some attendees at the main protest.
Organisers of the local event set up a small stage where several speakers addressed the crowd. According to reports, some speakers argued that cultural differences made diversity unworkable and warned of societal breakdown. One speaker, introduced as "Leo," claimed there was an "ISIS terror plot" targeting schools and children; that assertion was presented by organisers but has not been independently verified. Other speakers called for mass deportations of people said to be in the country illegally.
Police were on site for much of the afternoon and maintained a low profile, keeping a distance from the protesters, according to witnesses. The protest passed without reports of violence.
The gathering occurred on the same day that, as reported in national coverage, more than 110,000 people participated in a far‑right street protest in London organised by the activist Stephen Yaxley‑Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson. Local organisers and participants linked broader concerns about immigration and public safety to the demonstration outside the hotel.
Residents at the Tickled Trout include people who worked alongside British forces during operations in Afghanistan and others who say they face a credible risk of persecution if returned. Those details were cited by campaigners and local authorities when the site was selected to house the group.
Participants at the Lancashire protest expressed a range of views. Some said they were motivated by worries about vetting and community safety; others, including counter‑protesters, questioned the focus on asylum seekers and pointed to other political controversies. Organisers at the event made assertions about future social unrest and criminality that were reported by attendees but are unverified.
Local authorities and organisations involved in housing arrangements did not immediately comment on Saturday's demonstration. The hotel remains part of a national network of sites used to accommodate people relocating to the UK from Afghanistan and other countries on humanitarian grounds.
The peaceful demonstration and the presence of a small counter‑protest reflect ongoing national debates over asylum, immigration policy and community response. Police said they would continue to monitor the site and urged anyone with concerns about public safety or illegal activity to report them through usual channels.