A second protest and counter-protest was held on Sunday outside a Newquay hotel housing asylum seekers.

Hundreds of campaigners, many from Resist Cornwall, outnumbered protestors at the Beresford Hotel at Narrowcliff.

The road had to be closed following counter protestors gathering to get their point across with banners and flags such as “Refugees are welcome here” and “Gary says kick Racism out.”

Protestors on the other side of the street held various placards stating: “Close Migrant Hotels, House Local People First, Stop Immigration Now” and others said “Migrants given hotel rooms while local homeless left on the streets.” Campaigners on both sides used megaphones to get their messages across.

The protest was staged following “false and damaging” rumours that the person arrested following an alleged rape at Towan Beach on March 12 was staying at the Beresford Hotel where asylum seekers are staying whilst their applications are being processed.

Resist Cornwall organised the counter-protest to stand in support of survivors of sexual violence, “whose trauma is being co-opted by racists to incite hatred towards refugees.”

The first protest was held following allegations women and children were being followed by asylum seekers in Newquay. The Police stated at the time that it is aware of speculation on social media about some people not feeling safe in Newquay but the number of reports to police “do not reflect this.”

Read the next edition of the Newquay Voice on Wednesday for the full story.