Pro and anti-immigration protestors march in Canterbury
They marched towards a former care home in Craddock Road now used by the county council to house unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC).
Hundreds of opposing protestors descended on Canterbury today amid rising tensions over immigration.
Just over one hundred anti-immigration protestors marched through the city centre on Saturday morning, waving St George’s flags and the Union flag while chanting ‘stop the boats – send them back’ and other anti-government slogans.
After meeting at Westgate Towers, they marched through the city towards Connors House, a former care home in Craddock Road now used by the county council to house unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC).
It follows a similar protest in Faversham earlier this month which saw anti-immigration protestors marching from the town centre to Acacia Court – also a former care home now housing asylum-seeking children.
Cllr Alan Baldock (Lab), leader of Canterbury City Council (CCC), attended the counter-protest today, saying: “Canterbury’s always been a welcoming place for people from across the world, whether they come as refugees or just as visitors.
“I just find it absolutely incredible that any person with any ounce of compassion would march on a children’s home, I find it almost astonishing.
“It’s been a noisy and peaceful demonstration, absolutely as it should be and people have the chance to express their views.”
As well as local councillors from multiple parties, left-wing organisations like Stand Up to Racism and the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) were also in attendance.
“There’s been a lot of far-right protests of people who I think have been whipped up by far-right ideas, people like Tommy Robinson and Nigel Farage,” argued Nisha Jacques of the local RCP.
“The reason people are out here is because they have job insecurity, really expensive housing, all these different problems the government isn’t paying attention to, but they’re trying to use the migrants as a scapegoat,” they added.
Lou Roberts, 39, expressed similar sentiments, saying: “Immigration is being used as an easy answer for why people are struggling so much – people are really angry about the situation and how difficult it is to live in the UK and get by.”
“A lot of people are afraid and disenfranchised and we need to make a place for them so they don’t drift over to the right.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) did attempt to speak to anti-immigration protestors.
But earlier in the day, Harry Hilden, Faversham-based organiser of the anti-immigration group, urged the crowd not to speak to reporters, accusing us of being “propagandists”.
Later in the day, while waving a bag he claimed contained used toilet paper, he said: “I’d like to give you this gift because that’s what I believe your media channel is.”
The recent increase in protests around Kent and the country comes after controversy around the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, which is being used to house asylum seekers.
An Ethiopian asylum seeker living there was charged and later found guilty of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
Since then, there have been many protests around the country, often centred on asylum hotels and other places used to house asylum seekers.
Additionally, the St George’s Cross and Union Flags have been hung from lampposts around Kent and the country in recent weeks as a display of anti-immigration and anti-government sentiment, dubbed ‘Operation Raise the Colours’.
Protests planned today in Faversham appeared to peter out by the late morning. However, a ‘de-flagging’ event which saw the removal of St George’s flags around the town did take place.
A Kent Police spokesperson said: “Kent Police officers attended Canterbury City centre on Saturday 20 September 2025 to ensure protests and counter protests remained peaceful.
“One person reported to officers that they had been assaulted. Enquiries are ongoing to identify and locate the suspect.”