Chesterfield Sandpiper Hotel protest: Police close major road as crowds flock to Chesterfield hotel housing asylum seekers

More than 600 people lined Sheffield Road near the hotel – used to accommodate asylum seekers – on Sunday, September 28.

The road was closed between Sheepbridge roundabout and Cheetham Avenue with police appealing to motorists to avoid the area.

Scores of people carrying England and Union Jack flags were seen shouting ‘get yourself out of here’ and ‘go back where you came from’ with some chanting ‘Tommy Tommy Robinson’ as a tribute to the prominent far-right activist.

Michelle Baker, a great granddaughter of refugees, attended the protest alongside her family members including two nieces.

She said: “My great grandparents came here legally, worked hard and integrated into the system. They were lovely people.

“I feel like it’s the only voice we have. I came here to object to the way that these people are coming in through safe countries. Really I think is to take benefits.”

Andy Pegg, who served in the military for 30 years, attended the protest wearing a Union Jack flag.

He said: “I fought for this flag and therefore I think that it’s crucial that we demonstrate our right to say no to immigrants coming to this country untested with no documentation, no IDs and then to be put into hotels at the public’s expense.

"This country paid a lot of money, we have made a lot of sacrifice and blood.

"There’s a lot of ex service people down here today and I think it’s right to do. It’s not left wing, it’s not right wing, it’s being proud to fly our flag.

"It’s our national pride and it’s no disrespect to anybody that we fly our flag.”

The counter protest, organised by Chesterfield Trades Union Council and the local Stand up to Racism branches, saw 360 people gather on the opposite side of Sheffield Road.

Protesters were holding banners stating ‘no to racism’, ‘no to fascism’, ‘no to hate’ while chanting ‘refugees are welcome here’.

Barbara Sansome, who has been working as a volunteer supporting refugees housed at the Sandpiper Hotel since 2022, was among those attending the counter protest.

Barbara, from North Derbyshire Refugee Support Group, said: “This narrative of racism only divides us, it doesn’t solve the housing problem, it doesn’t give us more access to NHS, it doesn’t give us more money for cost of living.

“It is really important that we see these people (asylum seekers) as individual human beings with families, who had lives before they came here.

"They are not a number, they are not just a fact that they came here in a small boat – we see them as people.

“If I said to somebody here is a black baby that has just been born and here is a white baby can you tell me which one has the most rights. They shouldn’t say one above the other, they should say they are both equal.”

Barbara explained that the refugees housed in the Sandpiper hotel were receiving £8.86 in funding a week and were not allowed to work.

She said: “We take them to local community, to college, we make sure they get access to volunteer activities, because they are not allowed to work.

“Now they have to put up with this racism and hate, they are getting more verbal abuse on the streets, they don’t feel safe going out any longer. Local people who’ve been putting all these flags up to intimidate them and also have come on to premises, refused to leave and left a flag at the end of the hotel.

“We just want to show that they have solidarity and support from the vast majority of people.”

Jeannie Robisnon, Secretary at Stand Up to Racism Chesterfield, was one of the counter-protest organisers.

She said: “We have come today because we knew that the far right were organising today to come to harass and intimidate the refugees who live in this hotel.

"We know its important for people to stand up and say we won’t stand for their division, we won’t stand for their hatred, we won’t stand for their racism.

"Amongst the people who have come on the other side are organised fascists whose only role in life is being here to stir up trouble.

“I’m immensely proud of over 360 people who have come on our side. They come of all walks of life, from right across our town, we are very proud to be standing here in solidarity with refugees at the hotel.”