Islington Council leader Cllr Una O’Halloran and Islington South & Finsbury MP Emily Thornberry have issued a joint condemnation following an attack at the Thistle Hotel in the Barbican, currently housing asylum seekers.
The incident occurred around 10:53 pm on Wednesday 24 September and is now being treated as a hate crime by the Metropolitan Police. No injuries were reported, and a fire at the site was extinguished prior to police arrival.
In their statement, the council leader and MP called the attack ‘despicable and cowardly,’ affirming that Islington is a ‘beacon of tolerance and diversity.’
They also reasserted the council’s commitment to being a borough of sanctuary, welcoming those ‘fleeing war or persecution’, and pledged enhanced reassurance patrols and additional support for residents of the hotel.
