Police issue update as protest groups gathered outside Essex hotel

Yahoo

14 hours ago

Peaceful protests took place outside an Essex hotel this afternoon, police confirmed.
Specific measures were put in place by Essex Police as further protests took place outside The Bell Hotel in Epping.
A ban on face coverings and designated areas for protestors and counter-protestors were introduced to allow calm procedures.
A group of protesters against The Bell Hotel formed at around 1pm and officers facilitated a march by a group of counter-protests from the tube station to their designated area at 4pm before escorting them back a short time later.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: 'I want to thank those who attended for the peaceful nature of both protests.
'Our role is to ensure that you can express your democratic right to protest safely and lawfully and we had a proportionate and robust plan in place to ensure that could happen.
'I am pleased that today has passed off without incident and I am grateful to our colleagues from other forces for their support.'
A police spokesman confirmed three arrests were made on Sunday.
A 52-year-old man from Loughton on suspicion of a public order offence, a 53-year-old Loughton woman, from the anti-hotel protest group, on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence connected with a previous protest, and a 27-year-old woman, from the counter-protest group, on suspicion of criminal damage and a public order offence.
They are all currently in custody.