Elected Member Briefing Note - Hotel protests

About this Briefing Note

Report by: David Stokoe, Service Manager, Communities

Date: 30 January 2026

Subject: Hotel protests

Details

Purpose

This Briefing Note provides an update on the protest outside two Perth hotels on Saturday, 31 January.

Briefing Information

A protest is expected to take place outside two Perth hotels used to provide accommodation for people seeking asylum on Saturday, 31 January.

The protest is expected to start outside the Station Hotel at 11am.

A counter-protest, organised by Perth Against Racism, will also take place. The group is asking its supporters to meet at 10am. They are expecting supporters to come to Perth from other parts of Scotland.

Police Scotland are putting additional resources in place in order to prevent a repeat of the incident on 10 January, when anti-asylum protestors surged towards the Radisson Blu Hotel and banged on the windows.

Officers are continuing to review bodycam footage from the day for potential criminal offences.

Police Scotland also met organisers of the anti-asylum protests this week to understand what led to the actions on 10 January and how these can be avoided in future.

Multi-agency meetings have taken place this week to prepare for Saturday's protest and community groups notified about the protest.

Concerns have been raised by hotel staff in Falkirk that they were being followed by protesters or having their car registrations recorded.

Elected members and hotel staff are advised to contact Police Scotland by calling 999 if they have any concerns about intimidatory behaviour by protestors following the protest.