BREAKING NEWS Met confirms police van 'made contact' with protester at anti-migrant demo when thugs clashed with officers near asylum hotel after Ethiopian resident was charged over schoolgirl sex assault
Hundreds of furious residents gathered outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, on Thursday night, following the arrest of an asylum seeker accused of sexually assaulting teenage schoolgirls.
The protest began peacefully, but later flared into violence after a group of hardcore agitators stopped three Essex Police riot vans from driving past the hotel to support their colleagues in the centre of the town.
Children in balaclavas joined grown men and women to block the road by standing across it, before protesters started attacking the police vehicles, with some seen hurling projectiles at the vans and officers.
Dramatic footage shared online appeared to show the moment a demonstrator was driven into by one of the police vehicles.
The Essex Police van can be seen knocking over the young man, who stood in Epping High Road, in what appears to be an attempt to stop the vehicle leaving.
In a comment addressing the video, a spokesperson for the Met said: 'Met officers attended Epping, Essex on the evening of Thursday, 17 July, following a request by Essex Police to support with an ongoing protest and counter-protest.
'On arrival, officers were met with significant hostility from protesters, with police vehicles damaged and officers threatened with violence. During their attendance, officers attempted to leave the immediate area due to safety concerns and were subsequently blocked in by the group of protesters using barriers. During this, a police van made contact with one of the protesters.'
Protesters had erected a make-shift barrier made up of pallets and plastic fencing in the road to stop police leaving the scene.
But the first of four Essex Police vans crashed through the barrier, leading to a protester to stand in the road, who was then knocked out of the way by the second van as people screamed: 'Oh my god' and 'what the f***'.
The youth who was mown down by the police van is then seen getting up and brushing himself down as he shouts at the convoy.
Another man, who was standing by the side of the road, also fell to the ground during the chaotic clip - which has been seen more than 2.4million times online.
It is unclear whether either man needed medical attention.
Essex Police officers, dressed in full riot-gear, can be seen sat in the vehicles - as thugs are seen attacking the vans, kicking and launching missiles at them.
They had been among up to 100 officers who battled with anti-migrant protesters who had confronted a counter an anti-racism demonstration.
Speaking to journalists this afternoon, Essex's Assistance Chief Constable Stuart Hooper, condemned last night's 'mindless thuggery', which left eight officers hurt.
Warning those behind the mayhem they will 'feel the full force of the law', ACC Hooper said: 'If you were one of those individuals that was responsible for the damage - particularly to my officers or vehicle - you can expect a knock on your door.'
He added: 'Eight of my officers... were assaulted last night and that is absolutely, totally unaccepted. They have come here to do a role, to support their communities – they're a part of that community. And that's what we won't tolerate.'
The injured officers suffered minor injuries to their hands, as well as cuts and grazes elsewhere, ACC Hooper said.
The top officer's comments come amid fears more protests could flare up tonight, triggering a fresh wave of violence.
Insisting police were there to 'support peaceful protest', ACC Hooper said the force wanted to 'make sure everyone's voices are heard'.
But he said: 'We don't want to see those acts of violence in our streets.
'If you are coming here with the intention of carrying out mindless thuggery, that is not acceptable and we will deal with that.'
The demonstrators started peacefully early in the afternoon on Thursday. But by 6.30pm, violence had started to spill out onto the street, ACC Hooper said.
Carrying placards reading 'Refugees Welcome' some of the counter protesters were pelted with bottles, eggs and can and told to 'f*** off out of Epping' by an angry mob.
The protesters were calling for the closure of Epping's Bell Hotel as Home Office accommodation for asylum seekers following the arrest of one resident migrant on sexual assault charges against schoolgirls.
Essex Police has confirmed it is aware of a video which appeared to show a police vehicle drive into a protester.
Speaking of the incident, ACC Hooper said the video had been reported to the force, but said they had seen another video 'which maybe shows it from a different angle'.
'And I guess the angles and perceptions show a different thing,' he added.
'So I'm not sure that exact incident is as it's been reported in the media.'
Photos from later in the evening show one of the vans with a smashed windscreen, while one masked man is seen jumping up and down on the roof of another police vehicle.
Other footage from earlier in the mayhem showed men repeatedly punching and kicking the vans, as another man yells 'smash it, smash it' while officers sat trapped inside while the vandals attempted to break the windows.
Several thugs then clambered on to the roof of the vehicles, before jumping up and down. The van was eventually forced to flee with its back doors wide open.
The agitators also threw fireworks and bottles at police as they sought to protect anti-racism counter-demonstrators.
Essex Police said that they had already identified several suspects they believe are responsible for damaging police vehicles, the hotel, and assaulting officers.
Officers on patrol also arrested a man on suspicion of affray, following an assault reported close to The Bell Hotel on Sunday evening.
Police armed with riot shields form a barrier across the road following a major public order incident in Epping on Thursday
Dean Walters, 65, of Harlow, has been charged with affray and released on bail to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on September 24, with stringent conditions until then.
The latest unrest has been triggered after Ethiopian asylums seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with a number of sexual offences.
He was arrested by officers on July 8 after reports of a man acting inappropriately towards a number of people.
Kebatu appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Thursday, July 10, and denied all offences.
Kebatu was charged with three counts of sexual assault, as well as one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence.
At the protest well-dressed mothers stood side-by-side with retired businessmen and women and dozens of bald tattooed middle-aged men to call for the hotel to stop operating as refugee accommodation.
One bearded man wearing shorts draped a union flag over his shoulders as he took selfie pictures outside the embattled hostel.
Essex Police were out in force in the picturesque commuter town - blocking the entrance to the hotel car park with a riot van.
One of the demonstrators told how the 'whole of Epping' was united in opposition to housing asylum seekers in their town.
The 74-year-old retired company director who declined to give his name said: 'We are all absolutely sick of it. They should all be sent back to where they've come from. If they came in a small boat from France then they should be sent back to France.
'It's absolutely outrageous that we have to pay for them - the food, their accommodation, their phones, everything.
'How is it that our children can't walk home from school without being attacked?'
A mother-of-three added: 'This is not about being racist, it's about protecting our children. There are a load of schools near here and there are all these single men here in the hotel and no one knows who they are.
Hundreds of furious Essex residents took to the streets to voice their anger following the arrest of a migrant on sex assault charges against school girls
'They've not been screened, or checked or anything.'
One man held a flag of St George with the slogan written in black: 'Save Our Kids'.
Youths wearing face masks, caps and sunglasses surged through bushes at the side of the road to try to confront their opponents.
Police were forced to push some of the anti-migrant protesters back.
But some managed to break through police lines and grabbed the anti-racism placards and threw them back at their opponents.
Meanwhile a middle aged man with a Union flag draped over his shoulders and a black trilby hat joined the crowd with a loud speaker playing ska music classics.
Police were forced to create a protective ring around the 50 or so anti-racism demonstrators as they became surrounded by protesters at the entrance to Epping town centre.
Essex Police then deployed squads of riot officers as protesters urged the demonstrators to 'f*** off out of Epping' and accused them of protecting 'paedos'.
The anti-racism group were pelted by occasional bottles, cans and eggs hurled by the anti-migrant protesters.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: 'I am sure those living in Epping have concerns following tonight. I share those concerns.
'We know the people who carried out these crimes do not represent Epping or Essex.
'Nothing about the offending we saw tonight is representative of these communities, or the peaceful event that ended before this started. This was crime.
'Our detectives are already working through the footage of this evening – from our officers bodyworn camera, from our drones and from social media – and where offences are identified we will take action.
'People attended the earlier protest and did so peacefully, lawfully and responsibly. I'd like to thank them for expressing their views this way given the strength of feeling locally.
'The details of the ongoing sexual assault case can be found on our website, and I reiterate the importance for respect for the court process to prevent the release of any prejudicial information in relation to that case.'
On Friday afternoon, a security guard remained on site at the Bell Hotel, opening the gate in the fencing and the door of the hotel to let people in and out.
Fencing has since been put up to surround the hotel, accompanied with no entry signs. There are also warnings forbidding photography and filming in the vicinity of the hotel.
Broken glass and remnants of flares remain on the ground from the incident.
ACC Hooper believes that, although there are polarised views in Epping surrounding the hotel holding asylum seekers, a lot of those responsible for the violence came from further afield.
He said: 'We actually saw last night we believe outsiders from our communities. People have come from outside their local areas into Epping to commit acts of violence and damage.
'That was really disappointing to see, because we know our communities wanted a voice and wanted to tell us what was going on, and they were peaceful in their activity.
'I've seen some of the social media comments and spoken to a number of members of the community, and there are polarised views.
'But it's our role as police to be independent and to, without fear or favour, make sure that people have the right to peaceful protest.
'What I won't stand for is those mindless acts of vandalism and violence that we saw and making sure that we are very robust in supporting our communities.
'Our communities don't want to see this violence, and they want to have their voice heard peacefully.'
On Sunday night, rival groups of anti-migrant demonstrators and counter-protesters faced off outside the hotel.
Two people, who worked as security guards at the hotel, were left bloodied and injured on July 13 after being attacked at a bus stop.
Police said the two victims then managed to make their way past the protest site into the hotel, where there was a significant policing presence, to get help.
A second incident took place on Tuesday July 15 with a man shouting racial abuse directed at the hotel, before later causing damage to the property.
Police arrested a man on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and criminal damage, although he was later released on bail.
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