
6 arrested after MORE ‘mindless thuggery' outside Epping migrant hotel as cops make appeal to help find yobs
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COPS have arrested six more after "mindless thuggery" unfolded outside a migrant hotel in Epping.
Chaos erupted outside The Bell Hotel in Essex last week after an asylum seeker appeared in court charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
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Cops have arrested six more after "mindless thuggery" unfolded outside a migrant hotel in Epping
Credit: Story Picture Agency
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Essex Police are looking to speak to this man in connection with violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker
Credit: Essex Police
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Officers are also looking to speak to the man pictured above in connection with violent disorder
Credit: Essex Police
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The force wish to find a third man regarding violent disorder and assault
Credit: Essex Police
The unrest saw yobs launching themselves on riot vans, smashing windshields and ripping off wingmirrors in senseless displays of "hooliganism".
One thug was even run over while attempting to stop a police van gaining access to the hotel.
Another man had his teeth knocked out after riot cops smashed a shield into his face in a brutal clash.
Since tensions reached boiling point, violent demonstrations have cost the force £100,000.
And Essex Police confirmed six more people have been detained this week.
Cops arrested two men, aged 36, and 47, on suspicion of violent disorder under Section 2 of the Public Order Act.
A 51-year-old has also now been charged with violent disorder.
A 34-year-old man remains in custody on suspicion of breaching Section 60AA of the Public Order Act.
Meanwhile, two teens aged 17 and 16, were also arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage to a vehicle and going equipped to cause criminal damage, respectively.
But police are still appealing for more information and released CCTV of three men they wish to speak to.
The force wish to located them in connection with violent disorder, assaulting an emergency worker, and assault.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: "The cost of policing criminal incidents in Epping over the last week has reached £100,000 – money which we would much rather spend on continuing to cut crime across Essex and keeping our neighbourhoods safe.
"What we have seen in Epping over the last week is not protest, it's hooliganism and the people responsible for it can expect to be held accountable.
'To those who seek to use social media to peddle untruths and lies about the incidents in Epping on Thursday and Sunday, you won't win.
'The very people you are criticising are police officers who have families, who live in our communities and want to keep them safe.
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One yob appeared to have his teeth knocked out by riot cops
Credit: Newsflare
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Another thug was run over by a police riot van as chaos broke out
Credit: Newsflare
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One protester donned an England flag on his head and jumped on a police van
'These are the same people who have been antagonised with threatening and abusive language, they've had missiles thrown at them and they've been injured.
'Once again, to anyone who somehow thinks we will tolerate this behaviour – think again.
"We don't take sides; we arrest criminals and we have a duty to ensure no-one is hurt – it really is that simple.'
This comes after two people were arrested on Sunday night after thugs sparked brawls in the street.
The force confirmed eight officers were injured in the clash and two people have been arrested - one on suspicion of affray following reports of an assault, and the other for failing to comply with dispersal orders.
The man accused of affray, 65-year-old Dean Walters, has since been charged and the second suspect remains in custody.
On Wednesday night, video footage captured the dramatic moment a protestor was run over by a police riot van as chaos broke out.
Yobs allegedly tried to block the streets with green plastic blockades as officers navigated through angry crows.
Men could be seen kicking and punching several riot vans on the road.
But footage shows one man being driven into after failing to move.
The protest was sparked by a 38-year-old Ethiopian asylum seeker who was arrested and later charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence.
Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who had been living at the Bell Hotel, in Epping, Essex, denies sexual assault.
He appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Thursday, July 10, where he denied all charges.
His arrest led to multiple protests in the region, culminating in the violent clashes.
There are about 210 hotels under contracts with the Home Office to house migrants.
A Sun investigation revealed 339 defendants who had been living at asylum hotels had appeared in magistrate's courts already this year.
Sir Keir Starmer released a statement in response to the growing tensions.
"Well, I think it's obviously important that communities know that we are working to reduce the number of asylum hotels," said the PM's spokesperson.
"That is a clear government policy. But it's also important that
legitimate protest doesn't cross over into something else, and we would always hope that communities would respect that.
"But we are, and I think the Prime Minister is on record as saying, about the need to cut migration, both lawfully and illegal migration, and that is something that you're seeing in working on tirelessly over the last year, whether it be the agreement with the French last week or the agreement with the German government yesterday, that is a priority for this government.
"It is something that requires international solutions, and that is why you're seeing this flurry of activity from this government to tackle these gangs from every possible angle.'
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Protesters set off red smoke cannons
Credit: LNP
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The man who jumped on police vans was also seen pushing into the police cordon
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial

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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Fury erupts over footage of second police force escorting pro-migrant protesters to asylum seeker hotel as Epping unrest sparks nationwide tensions
A second police force has come under fire after a video emerged showing officers escorting pro-migrant activists to a protest outside an asylum seeker hotel. Officers from Hampshire police were filmed walking alongside anti-racism counter-protesters to Potters International Hotel in Aldershot, where migrants are staying. The footage, filmed on May 10, comes as Essex Police this week faced fierce criticism after a similar video showed officers escorting counter-protesters to the Bell Hotel in Epping, last week. The row led to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage calling for Essex Police's chief constable, BJ Harrington, to resign on Wednesday - something the senior officer has firmly rejected. Meanwhile, top police campaigners have warned the violence was a 'signal flare' which could spark similar waves of chaos across the UK this summer. The latest clip of officers 'bussing' counter-protesters saw one activist brandishing a placard supporting the campaign Stand Up to Racism - which is partly funded by trade unions and led by suspended Labour MP, Diane Abbott. The group is already planning to mobilise scores of its supporters to take part in a series of planned counter-protests outside migrant hotels this weekend. But the presence of the left-wing activists has reportedly led to violence erupting at previous rallies, with anti-asylum seeker demonstrators in Epping saying it is what triggered the chaotic scenes of disorder in the Essex town on July 17. Police made 16 arrests and have so far charged five people with violent disorder, with officers accusing a small group of people of acting 'thuggishly' and using the peaceful demonstration to commit 'criminal' acts. Commenting on the footage from Hampshire, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative Party leader told the Telegraph: 'It is simply not the police's job to facilitate protest. It is their job to make sure there is peace on the streets. 'If you come to counter protests you're asking for trouble, and it's not the police's job to facilitate that. By doing so, they run the risk of bringing people there who are out to cause trouble. It makes no sense at all.' However, a leading policing campaigner has hit back and slammed those criticising the officers for 'simply doing their job'. Norman Brennan, a veteran former London police officer with three decades of experience, said he supported the anti-migrant demonstrators. However, the retired officer-turned policing campaigner told MailOnline: 'Police have a duty to people. They have a job to do. 'You can't criticise the police for doing something that they're paid to do – that's keeping the peace. You can't have a pop for the police simply doing their job. 'It's like football matches when you have two rival teams, you have duty of care to ensure both are protected. 'The police would have known there are likely to be agitators there. However, as people have a lawful right to protest, police escorted them. It's part of their job. 'Those police officers probably didn't even want to be there but they were tasked to with keeping the peace. And in keeping the peace, police might do something which one side of the demonstration will take a disliking to, accusing them of taking sides.' He added the criticism faced by some officers was unfair and pointed the figure of blame on the 'violent agitators' who turn up at demonstrations not to peacefully protest but to try and deliberately cause mayhem. 'Police don't want conflict. But we have got a very angry nation. We have these belligerent people who are angry and violent and turn up at these protests to cause mayhem. They're the problem, not the police,' Mr Brennan added. The latest video to emerge was filmed when Turning Point UK was demonstrating alongside local activists Rushmoor People First. Some of the pro-migrant protesters were seen wearing masks, glasses and hoodies to cover their faces. Others held banners saying 'refugees welcome'. While the anti-migrant protester carried Union flags and plaques with slogans like 'pensioners before migrants', 'illegals housed here' and 'house Brits on waiting lists'. These activists did not appear to be wearing face masks. Hampshire Constabulary has insisted officers 'engage' with those attending the demonstration to 'ensure they know where they can safely protest'. However, a spokesman for Turning Point UK said it was growing 'increasingly appalled' to see officers escorting 'far-Left agitators' to protests. A spokesman for Hampshire police said: 'Protests outside Potters International Hotel regularly take place on an area of land which backs directly onto a busy A road, running between Aldershot and Farnborough. 'Therefore, there is only one direction for people attending from Aldershot town centre or the nearby housing estate to arrive. 'Officers engage with those attending, and ensure they know where they can safely protest both in advance and on the day. 'Policing protests requires us to balance the rights of those lawfully protesting and the rights of others to go about their lives without being subject to unacceptable disruption, whilst keeping the public safe. 'Protests organised by Rushmoor People First and attended by counter-protesters this year have all concluded with no disorder, thanks to proactive engagement with police by protest organisers and the decisions made by officers on the ground to safely facilitate attending groups.'


Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
Father of girl ‘assaulted' by migrant ‘backs anti-hotel protests'
The father of a 14-year-old girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by an Ethiopian asylum seeker has backed calls to have the hotel where he stayed shut down, it has been claimed. Epping, a village in Essex, has been gripped by anti-migrant protests outside The Bell Hotel after Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was charged with the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl days after arriving in Britain on a small boat. Conservative councillor Shane Yerrell read out a message allegedly from the girl's father during an impromptu council meeting on Thursday evening, which was called to discuss the recent unrest. The letter, which Cllr Yerrell said was written by the girl's father, said: 'I just want the hotel to be moved, not only off our streets, but away from making any other family feel how we're feeling right now. 'It's not fair that the Government are putting our children and grandchildren at risk, even their own.' The father went on to thank the community in Epping for their 'kind messages', adding that they were 'helping [my daughter] get through every day'. It marks the first time the alleged victim's family has publicly weighed in on the disorder surrounding The Bell Hotel. Mr Kebatu, 38, denied the charge when he appeared at Chelmsford magistrates' court on July 17. On Thursday evening, around 200 protesters gathered outside the hotel, which is situated less than a mile away from a school, to protest its housing of asylum seekers. Demonstrators chanted 'save our kids' in the pouring rain before marching to Epping district council's offices in the town centre while the meeting was taking place. The council voted in favour of closing down the hotel. Officers from at least six forces outside of the county attended the demonstration over fears that tensions between protesters and counter-protesters would continue to rise. One person was arrested for breaching an order in place that prevents anyone from wearing a face covering, Essex Police said. A total of 16 arrests were made following a protest outside the same hotel last week. It comes amid speculation, denied by the Home Office, that migrants at The Bell Hotel will be moved to a hotel in Canary Wharf, with mattresses and toilet brushes seen being delivered there.


The Independent
12 hours ago
- The Independent
One arrest as protesters again descend on hotel in Epping
One person has been arrested as protesters again descended on a hotel in Essex that is believed to be housing asylum seekers. Dozens gathered outside The Bell Hotel in Epping on Thursday evening, following a recent string of violent protests there – although shortly after 7.30pm, police said the latest demonstration had 'so far been peaceful'. However, an arrest was made over breaching an order in place that prevents anyone from wearing a face covering, Essex Police confirmed. Some of the protesters could be seen wearing English and Union flags draped over their backs as they stood behind fencing erected outside the hotel. A large billboard set up behind the fencing also showed English flags with the words 'Protect Our Kids'. One protester with a microphone could be heard saying 'we'll be here Sunday' after thanking 'everyone for keeping it peaceful'. A total of 17 arrests have been following protests around the same hotel. The force previously said a small number of people used those demonstrations as cover to commit violent disorder and criminal damage. Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said on Thursday: 'I want to thank those who are attending today and protesting peacefully. We have used powers at our disposal to ensure people can protest peacefully, lawfully, and safely. And our officers are in place to ensure you can do so. 'We won't tolerate anyone thinking they can come and cause trouble or breach the orders we've put in place to keep people safe. My message is clear – we will deal with you.' People had earlier walked through the town's high street and gathered outside Epping Forest District Council, before being walked back to the hotel by large numbers of police officers. The force said a group outside the hotel wanted to move towards the town centre and officers 'escorted them there to ensure they could express their democratic right safely'. It was reported that Epping Forest District Council were holding a meeting on Thursday. Earlier that evening, police announced they will be using extra powers, under Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, to 'put restrictions on people who plan to assemble or to take part in any kind of procession'. Sites to lawfully protest at are directly opposite the Bell Hotel 'and will have their own designated entry and exit routes', Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper said previously. There will also be areas near the Civic Centre, he said, adding: 'If you move from the Bell Hotel to the Civic Centre, you will not be able to return.' A Section 60AA order, under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, is also in place on face coverings. 'If you wear one, we'll order you to take it off. If you don't take it off, you'll be arrested', Mr Hooper warned. He said all protest activity should cease by 10pm, adding: 'To be clear, you will not be able to get in the way of people getting on with their daily lives in Epping. This is a priority.' Last Thursday's protest began peacefully but escalated into what officers described as 'scattered incidents of violence' targeting police and property. Eight officers were injured and a number of police vehicles were damaged as missiles were thrown. Six people have been charged in relation to the action. The latest developments come as police are braced for further protests, and the government and law enforcement have vowed to act swiftly if unrest spreads. The Epping protest was sparked by the charging of asylum-seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, with sexual assault after he allegedly attempted to kiss a 14-year-old girl. He denied the charge at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court and will stand trial in August. The protest has drawn national attention and sparked a political row, with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage calling for Essex Police Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington to resign over claims that officers transported left-wing protesters to the scene, claims the chief constable has denied.