MIGRANT hotel residents have been spotted laughing while they video protesters and counter-demonstrators clash.
People believed to be asylum seekers inside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel, in Islington, waved and blew kisses at protesters in the street below.
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People believed to be asylum seekers were watching from the windowsCredit: PA
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Migrant hotel residents have been spotted laughing while they video protestersCredit: PA
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They filmed the clash from their roomsCredit: PA
The protest outside the north London hotel was sparked today, while another demonstration will also take place in Newcastle outside The New Bridge Hotel.
The Metropolitan Police said the display was organised by local residents under the banner “Thistle Barbican needs to go – locals say no”.
Online groups called Patriots of Britain and Together for the Children have voiced their support for the demonstration.
A counter-protest, created by Stand Up To Racism, has also unfolded.
On student involved said he wants migrants to “feel safe” in the UK.
Pat Prendergast, 21, said: “I want people to feel safe. I think the (rival protesters) over there are making people feel unsafe.
“I want to stand up in solidarity and say that, you know, we want people here.
“We want migrants. We want asylum seekers.”
Meanwhile people against the hotel being used for migrants shouted “get these scum off our streets”, while waving England flags.
A large group of masked protesters dressed in black and chanted “we are anti-fascist”.
A man donning an England football shirt was also arrested by police after an aggressive altercation with officers.
There were clashes before cops separate the two groups.
Chief Superintendent Clair Haynes, in charge of the policing operation, said: “We have been in discussions with the organisers of both protests in recent days, building on the ongoing engagement between local officers, community groups and partners.
“We understand that there are strongly held views on all sides.
“Our officers will police without fear or favour, ensuring those exercising their right to protest can do so safely, but intervening at the first sign of actions that cross the line into criminality.
“We have used our powers under the Public Order Act to put conditions in place to prevent serious disorder and to minimise serious disruption to the lives of people and businesses in the local community.
“Those conditions identify two distinct protest areas where the protests must take place, meaning the groups will be separated but still within sight and sound of each other.”
In a statement, the organisers of the counter protest said: “Yet again far-right and fascist thugs are intent on bringing their message of hate to Newcastle.
“They aim to build on years of Islamophobia, anti-migrant sentiment and scapegoating.
“In Epping and elsewhere recently we have already seen intimidation and violence aimed at refugees, migrants and asylum seekers.
“Newcastle, like the rest of the North East, has a well-earned reputation for unity in the face of those who seek to divide us.
“Whatever problems we face, racism and division are not the answer.”
More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
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TINO LIVRAMENTO will have a “beautiful future” for club and country, says England’s greatest left-back Ashley Cole.
The Newcastle star is aiming to cap off a campaign that saw him lift the Carabao Cup and qualify for the Champions League by becoming a European champion.
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Tino Livramento produced a man of the match display in England U21s’ win over Czech RepublicCredit: Getty
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Ashley Cole believes the star has a ‘beautiful future’ ahead of him with the Three LionsCredit: Getty
And he thinks England, who face Slovenia on Sunday in their second Group B clash, have struck gold with Livramento.
Cole, 44, said: “I had the fortune to be around him when he was at Chelsea. He was in the 21s in the reserve group. You always see the passion and level he could get to. But of course, there’s only a certain level of information we can give him.
“It’s down to the players to take on that information, absorb it, and want to learn and listen and develop and get better. He’s certainly one of them players.
“Him getting the opportunity at Newcastle and continuing to play first in football gave him the belief, the confidence in his own ability. And, of course, a manager that’s trusted him to play at such a young age. He’s developing into a top player.”
Three-time Premier League and 2012 Champions League winner Cole continued: “My job is to try and give all my experiences to every single player.
“You do favour certain players and certain attitudes. He’s got a great attitude. He’s a great person, always willing to listen.
“I try not to compare myself to these guys. The information and detail I give is, we’re a different stature. We have a different style of play. And it’s just trying to give him the basics of how to defend all areas of the pitch, and see how he develops.”
Ashley Cole picks his all-time team-mates XI… but does it boast more Arsenal or Chelsea stars?
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Ashley Cole and Tino Livramento in action at England trainingCredit: Getty
Cole, who admits some of the magic is not there anymore, takes a hands-on approach to coaching.
And after sharing a pitch with Livramento and working with him up close, he insists that the sky is the limit for the Toon ace.
He said: “I can’t move anymore. My ankle is gone. I was probably the worst player last week when I joined in.
“I try to give that little bit of knowledge as I’m playing. I can’t run anymore, so it’s more of a gob – which I’ve calmed down a bit! – but it’s still there. I try to give as much as I can.
“As coach, you stand on the sideline and see how much information he takes on and takes on board. And I keep saying it, but the willingness to want to learn and be the best, is always a great trait to have.
I try not to compare myself to these guys. We have a different style of play. And it’s just trying to give him the basics of how to defend all areas of the pitch, and see how he develops.
Ashley Cole on Tino Livramento
“Whatever level he wants to get to, he can get to because he’s got that personality and desire.
“He’s got a beautiful future, a bright future. Long may it continue that he keeps playing for Newcastle, keeps gaining experience and keeps his levels up.”
Eyebrows were raised when Thomas Tuchel left Livramento, who won his first senior cap in November, out of his latest squad in order for him to come to the Euros.
But the ex-Southampton ace revealed a conversation he had with the German about being a leader for the U21s in Slovakia and he says he is loving soaking up all the knowledge from his hero Cole.
Livramento said: “Thomas spoke to me about the senior squad and said that he wanted to speak to Lee as well about giving me that role.
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“I’ve never played a tournament for England and any age group. I’ve always missed it through injuries. That’s a big thing for me, coming here and getting this experience and playing with loads of boys that I’ve come through the age groups with.
“Ashley gets involved in the sessions. Even just watching him, he’s still at the highest level of the way he communicates with all the boys. As a coach he’s a bit more laid back.
“He sees things, he lets you train and he might pull you to the side after and do a little bit of one-to-one work.
“Obviously as a Chelsea fan when I was younger seeing him and stuff like that is a big thing for me to learn.”
England’s Under-21 Euros squad in FULL
ENGLAND are looking to retain their status as Under-21 European champions this summer in Slovakia.
Here is Lee Carsley’s full squad for the blockbuster tournament:
Goalkeepers: James Beadle (Brighton and Hove Albion), Teddy Sharman-Lowe (Chelsea), Tommy Simkin (Stoke City)
Defenders: Charlie Cresswell (FC Toulouse), Ronnie Edwards (Southampton), CJ Egan-Riley (Burnley), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Brooke Norton Cuffy (Genoa), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton and Hove Albion), Tyler Morton (Liverpool), Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth)
Forwards: Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich Town), Sam Iling Jnr (Aston Villa), James McAtee (Manchester City), Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), Jonathan Rowe (Marseille), Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City)
NOTTINGHAM FOREST would have earned a Champions League spot at the expense of Newcastle if VAR did not exist.
And the Magpies’ escape from any consequences for their home defeat by Everton is put into even starker content as they would have missed out on European football altogether without the technology.
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Nottingham Forest would have earned a Champions League spot if VAR did not exist
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Newcastle would have missed out on Europe if VAR did not exist
SunSport have analysed all 380 Prem matches this term and worked out how the table would have looked if the original on-field decisions had not been overturned after intervention by the Stockley Park video booth.
Our number crunchers found that Eddie Howe’s men were by far the biggest beneficiaries of VAR changes.
Newcastle had a staggering 13 decisions changed in their favour, with just five reversals hurting them.
That brought a net figure of +8, with Aston Villa and West Ham next in the benefits column with each having four more interventions in their favour than against them.
Our analysis, which assumes every penalty that was initially awarded and then wiped was scored, suggests that without VAR Newcastle would have picked up four fewer points – dropping them to eighth in the table – and conceded seven more goals.
Forest, whose home defeat by Chelsea left them in the Conference League slot, would have finished fifth in our “No VAR” table.
And Bournemouth, ninth in the actual table, would have been preparing for a first continental campaign in the Europa League without the technology changes.
Andoni Iraola’s side had 11 VAR changes against them and just three in their favour, costing the Cherries EIGHT points and seven goals.
The study of the 111 changed decisions cannot determine definitively what would have happened in real life if the initial decisions had not been overturned.
But one of the most contentious calls saw Dango Ouattara’s last-gasp “winner” against Newcastle in August chalked off for a handball PGMOL chief Howard Webb subsequently conceded was wrongly overturned after the VAR intervention.
Taiwo Awoniyi seen for first time since horror injury as he receives hero’s welcome at Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea
Over the course of the season there were 12 goals and 25 penalties awarded through VAR intervention – with 21 of those spot-kicks converted – compared to 48 goals and 11 penalties disallowed.
Liverpool’s 10-point advantage over Arsenal at the top of the pile would have been reduced to just two without VAR, as the Gunners lost eight points from the six overturns against them – including “winning” goals against Chelsea, Fulham and Aston Villa.
Chelsea and Manchester City swap places, with the Londoners up to third, with Villa down one to take the Conference League slot.
CALLUM WILSON revealed he contemplated suicide aged 12 and how seeking therapy a year ago saved him from the demons.
The father-of-two forward, whose Newcastle contract expires next month, bravely spoke out during Mental Health Awareness week and hopes his story will inspire others to ask for help.
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Callum Wilson revealed he contemplated suicide aged 12
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Wilson has represented England at senior levelCredit: Getty
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His Newcastle contract expires at the end of the seasonCredit: Getty
England international Wilson, 33, bared all about growing up in Coventry as one of six children with a single mum and with a different dad to his siblings.
He told the High Performance podcast: “I cried myself to sleep at night. I got to about 12, 13 – it was like suicidal moments.
“When I say I cried myself to sleep, I was just praying to God like ‘take me out of this environment, I want to become a footballer’.”
He admitted: “I’ve walked alongside the train track and was building up the courage to jump basically in front of the train.
“I’ve tied cables around my bedroom rail and my PlayStation remote controller to see if it was strong enough to hold my weight.
“Football really was my saviour, it was my escape.”
Wilson, though, refuses to blame his mother for any of his unstable upbringing, saying: “It was my mum on her own, all my siblings in the house.
“We had a three bedroom council house. Food was sparing to come by. That, along with a bit of turmoil.
“I probably have a lot of aggression from that point, but football was a place that I could be aggressive in my position on the pitch and it would be ok. So it was like a release really.”
Champions League places CONFIRMED after Aston Villa VAR controversy as Newcastle have to be saved by Man Utd
Despite all of the success in his career on the pitch, Wilson admitted that he had started to become more aggressive over recent years and he started to gamble.
Though he hailed a Newcastle physio for spotting he needed help and making him take it – which felt “like a weight was lifted” after the very first session.
He added: “Once I started speaking, and revealed everything I’ve been through in life, she was like ‘Wow, how have you got to this point already without not seeing a therapist?’
“I speak to my wife about it, but I didn’t want to blur the lines with our relationship.
“She’s not my therapist, she’s my wife and the mother of my children, so I didn’t want to burden her with problems.
“You can speak to a therapist and it does feel a sense of relief afterwards.
“It’s an investment in yourself and more than worth it. I’m probably learning a lot about myself now – little traits that I have that were obviously triggered by things as a kid. I’m really happy.”
YOU’RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organizations provide support:
Meanwhile, Wilson appeared to wave goodbye to Newcastle with a tearful solo lap of honour round the St. James’ pitch on Sunday after the Magpies had secured Champions League qualification.
Although Magpies boss Eddie Howe refused to rule out a potential stay.
Howe said: “Let’s wait and see. We’re going to sit down and talk with his representatives.
“What I can say is Callum Wilson is and has been just an incredible footballer for Newcastle.
“Someone who epitomises the spirit that’s got us to where we are really professional. Brave.
“To come here and be the No.9 in the manner and the moment that he did in the club’s history.
“It was a difficult moment and the club needed hope and Callum gave them hope, led the line with that responsibility and the pressure that role brings unbelievably.
“He brings a positivity to the group. He’s a leader within the change room. He’s just been incredible and let’s wait and see what happens.”
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
The top seven are guaranteed to be playing European football next season, but there is a scenario that eighth could also join, which Brighton and Brentford are battling for.
Elsewhere, Liverpool will lift the Premier League trophy in front of a packed Anfield for the first time following the conclusion of their fixture against recently crowned FA Cup winners Crystal Palace.
Kick off times: 4pm BST
TV channels: Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event
We’ve all heard it. The derisory chant from opposition fans when one of the so-called ‘big guns’ is having an off day.
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Six English teams will qualify for next season’s Champions LeagueCredit: Getty
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Either Tottenham or Man Utd will earn Champions League qualification this season despite finishing 17th or 16th in the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
For example, Southampton supporters had every right to aim it at the multi-billionaires of Manchester City last weekend, when they couldn’t find a way past the worst team in the Premier League.
Only now what was once a mildly amusing terrace jibe sums up perfectly what the leading club competition in the world has become. A joke.
Next season there will be a record SIX English teams in the Champions League.
Almost one third of the entire Premier League will be waved straight into the bizarre league phase by Uefa’s welcoming doormen at an empty small town disco on a wet Tuesday night.
Anyone can come in. From Liverpool who finished top, right down to hapless Tottenham or abject Manchester United hovering above the relegation zone.
It is time to officially ban the phrase ‘elite competition’ whenever the Champions League is mentioned on TV and radio or written in print.
There was a time when you had to win your domestic league to progress into the highest level of European football the following season.
From winning five Premier League games in a row, they went winless in the next five and couldn’t string a pass together.
They lag 20 POINTS behind the bona fide champions of England from Anfield and are fifth.
Don’t bet against them being in next season’s Champions League.
The constant tinkering and chiselling away at a once simple game has led to Uefa getting its knickers in a right old twist.
Fifth in this year’s Premier League grants a free pass into the treasure trove of the Champions League thanks to the coefficients which measure success where once it was about winning.
A whole page is devoted to thrill-a-minute ‘coefficients’ on the governing body’s website to explain how a system that would baffle Stephen Hawking’s much cleverer cousin actually works: “Uefa calculates the coefficient of each club each season based on the clubs’ results in the Uefa Champions League, Uefa Europa League and Uefa Conference League.
“The season coefficients from the five most recent seasons are used to rank the clubs for seeding purposes (sporting club coefficient).
“In addition, the season coefficients from the ten most recent seasons are used to calculate revenue club coefficients for revenue distribution purposes only.”
And that’s just the overview.
There’s a gag in there somewhere about how many coefficients does it take to ruin a game of football? Only I can’t see a funny punch line.
There was a time back when the world was black and white in the 1950s when two imaginative French journalists took inspiration from South America and came up with the idea of the best clubs from each country competing for a trophy on our continent.
Ironically, it wasn’t called the Champions League back then. It was the plain old European Cup. A cup fought over by teams in Europe. Simple eh?
Liverpool’s first steps into the European Cup came in 1964, our sole representatives having won the league the previous season under Bill Shankly.
Next season they share the honour with five other English teams and some of them are pretty ordinary.
If Spurs win the Europa League and follow it up by winning the Champions League next year, the champions of Europe will come from a team currently 17th in England’s top division.
You can argue it won’t happen. Yet somehow a side which has lost more league games than it has won this season is in a European final next week.
That’s cup football for you and it’s a wonderful lottery. Qualification for the Champions League is not. It’s a boring carve up.
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The top five teams in the Premier League will qualify for the Champions League due to European coefficientsCredit: AFP
