Three people have been charged after protesters blocked a coach set to take asylum seekers to the Bibby Stockholm barge.
Police said they were called at around 8.40 a.m. on Thursday to reports of people obstructing a coach, which was parked outside a Best Western Hotel in Peckham, south-east London.
A total of 45 people were arrested after officers were assaulted while trying to stop the protesters from obstructing the coach, the Metropolitan Police said.
Three people were charged with obstruction of the highway. They are Callum Goode, 24, of Ashbourne, Derbyshire; Jony Cink, 24, of Southwark; and Indea Barbe-Wilson, 31, of Lewisham.
Goode and Cink are expected to appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, however, the Met Police were unable to specify on what date.
Barbe-Wilson will appear at the same court on June 6.
A large group of people, many with their faces covered, surrounded the coach and were seen linking arms and sitting in Peckham Road.
Pictures showed lines of police officers attending the scene, while footage captured some jostling with protesters at one point.
The demonstrators could be heard chanting “no borders, no nations, stop deportations,” “say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here,” and “when refugees are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back.”
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said in a statement on Thursday: “It saddens me greatly to say that a number of officers have been assaulted in the course of their duty following an incident in Peckham today where they sought to uphold the law.”
He said that officers spoke to the coach driver and also protesters “at length” and warned them that they could be arrested, and added: “After this, demonstrators blocked the road and continued to prevent the coach, and police vehicles, from leaving.
“More officers were sent to the scene to safely remove people from the road, allow the vehicles to leave, and for the road to reopen.
“A number of officers have reported being assaulted. Thankfully, I’m glad that none of those are seriously hurt.”
But protesters claimed police had been “pushing and shoving” peaceful demonstrators.
Laurence Smith, founder of the charity Lewisham Donation Hub, said two of his organisation’s volunteers, who are asylum seekers, had been threatened with being sent to the barge.
He told the PA news agency: “I came down today to make sure our volunteers left that hotel and went to the private accommodation that we found.”
He added that he had spoken to Superintendent Matt Cox, from the Metropolitan Police, at 10 a.m. to try to defuse the situation.
The Home Office has not confirmed whether there are plans to try again to move the asylum seekers to the barge on another day or if the move had been abandoned, but Home Secretary James Cleverly said protests would not deter the “firm but fair approach the British people expect.”
