Shrewsbury restaurant closing this weekend over violent protest fears – as anti-racist demonstration is confirmed

Bosses of the House of Yum Thai restaurant in Shrewsbury Market Hall have described feeling "anxious and angry" about their decision, and "disgust" at the chaos which has been going on in towns and cities across the country.

It comes after rumours were spread of a protest in The Square on Saturday under the banner 'fight for our children', with the Shrewsbury Flower Show also considered a target.

A post on House of Yum's social media pages said: "Due to the planned 'protest' in Shrewsbury, we have made the disheartening decision to close House of Yum this Saturday, August 10.

"We are disgusted with the current situation in the UK and the safety of our staff is paramount at this time.

"Being from an ethnic minority group, we feel anxious and angry that such a decision has to be made, as we have previously never faced any racial issues in Shrewsbury.

"We do not want to put ourselves and our staff at risk and hope you will support our decision. House of Yum will reopen on Tuesday, August 13 for service. Thank you."

No official confirmation has been made about that protest, however a counter demonstration from the group Shrewsbury Stand Up To Racism has been confirmed.

Riots and protests have taken place across many towns and cities throughout England over the past week, sparked by the tragic events where three children were killed in Southport.

Rumours of a Shrewsbury protest this Saturday have sparked a counter demonstration to be organised.

A spokesman for Shropshire Humanists said: "Shrewsbury Stand up to Racism (SuTR) will be holding a unity & solidarity rally/event from 12.30pm to 2pm on Saturday in Shrewsbury Square.

"There will be speakers and probably some music. There will also be flyers to hand out to the public.

"The rally will be part of a national Stand up to Racism day of action, expressing solidarity with affected communities and our rejection of the far right narratives and their scapegoating of refugees and Muslims.

"Shrewsbury SuTR’s rally has been approved by the police and can be followed on their Facebook page

"Humanist values include opposing prejudice intolerance, racism, fascism and violence. If you attend, you may wish to show in some way that you are also there as a representative of humanism as well as an individual."

West Mercia Police has been contacted for a comment.

House of Yum are not the only ones who have decided to avoid Shrewsbury this Saturday.

The Made In Shropshire outdoor market also took the decision to cancel its event, saying they were not prepared to take any chances over safety.

Organisers said: "Due to current safety concerns regarding The Square this coming Saturday, we have had to make the sad decision to cancel our regular outdoor market in Shrewsbury this month.

"It has been widely reported that some sort of meeting is planned for the town on the same day and the safety and security of our traders and visitors is paramount.

"We have not taken this decision lightly and understand it is a disappointment for many people.

"This does not affect our event at Dudmaston on Sunday, August 11, which will go ahead as scheduled, and we hope to be back in The Square on Saturday, September 14.

"We very much hope that the reports of unrest are just that, and the weekend passes peacefully. But we hope you understand why we have had to make this choice and hope to see you all again soon."