AN ANTI-MIGRANT protest descended into violence on Sunday after masked-up far-right protesters clashed with police in Canary Wharf shopping centre, punching one officer in the face.

The Metropolitan Police said up to 100 protesters had been marching when a group entered the mall and staged a static protest.

A small number of masked men became “aggressive” police said before one officer was punched in the face.

Videos on social media show protesters wearing Union Jack masks scuffling with police, accompanied by young children.

Police made four arrests, including common assault by a protester on a member of the public, possession of class A and B drugs, assault on police, public order offences and failure to disperse.

The clashes followed an earlier demonstration outside the Britannia International Hotel on Marsh Wall, where anti-migrant protesters were met by about 100 counter-demonstrators.

A wave of protests outside refugee hotels was triggered in July by demonstrations at the Bell Hotel in Epping which have also been plagued by violence.

An interim injunction which would have blocked asylum-seekers from being housed at the hotel was overturned after the government won an appeal last week.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson accused Reform UK of stoking tensions, saying: “Of course, there can be no excuse for what is rightful protest, overstepping the mark.

“But Nigel Farage and Reform, they don’t actually want to sort this problem. It’s in their interests … he thinks their political interests are served by whipping up anger rather than fixing problems.”

The party’s leader Richard Tice claimed it is “outrageous” to suggest the party supports anything other than lawful, peaceful protests.

Earlier last month, an Epping Reform councillor, James Regan, called the Bell Hotel a “paedophile babysitting centre” while joining a protest in a TikTok video seen by the i paper. He was suspended by the party pending an investigation just two days ago.

Protests have also swept Scotland outside hotels in Perth, Aberdeenshire and Falkirk. 

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said today that protests outside accommodation for asylum-seekers are “completely unacceptable” and “distasteful.”

“I think they create a sense of fear and alarm which is entirely unwelcome,” he said.

“I don’t think they are who we are in Scotland. We are a welcoming country. We want to make sure that people are embraced into our country and welcomed.”