Three arrested as demo takes place outside hotel used to house migrants
People take part in a Stand Up to Racism protest (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
A 52-year-old man from Loughton was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence. It is understood the arrest was in connection with abuse being shouted towards counter-protesters.
A 53-year-old woman, also from Loughton, was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence connected with a previous protest, and it is understood she was part of the protest against the use of the hotel.
A 27-year-old woman from Deptford was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and a public order offence, and it is understood she was part of the counter-protest.
People take part in a Stand Up to Racism protest in Epping (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
Essex Police 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.'
Weyman Bennett, co-convener of Stand Up To Racism, told the PA news agency that volunteer security personnel accompanied them.
He added: 'We're happy to demonstrate but we're not happy to be attacked by thugs, racists and hooligans.'
It is believed that the hotel houses a number of asylum seekers (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
One man was seen being taken away from the station area by two officers, though it was not clear if he was part of any group.
Members of Stand Up To Racism were seen trying to stop people from filming the protesters, as locals watched the march from their driveways.
One local man was seen chanting in support of Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, as the march went past.
He began shouting 'there's only one Tommy Robinson' when a protester approached him.
One Stand Up To Racism protester chanted 'fascist scum' at him before police stepped in to ensure they would not come together.
Essex Police said it had established protest restrictions due to repeated serious disruption, violence, and harm to the community during previous demonstrations.
The force said that there was a ban on anyone wearing face coverings and that there were designated sites opposite the hotel for protesters.
Protesters and counter-protesters were kept separated (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
A dispersal order was in effect from 12pm on Sunday until 8am on Monday, covering Epping town centre and nearby transport hubs.
Both sets of protesters were kept separated by fences.
Those protesting outside The Bell Hotel in Epping chose to ignore counter-demonstrators and began singing.
They sang Sweet Caroline and Come On Eileen while demonstrators from Stand Up To Racism chanted: 'Nazi scum off our streets'.
Essex Police said that residents have reported feeling 'trapped', fearful of leaving their homes and anxious about protest activity previously.
A number of demonstrations have taken place outside the hotel (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
Hotel residents and staff have been advised to remain indoors after 5pm as some have experienced verbal and physical harassment, including a resident chased and injured while returning to the hotel, the force added.
Essex Police said there was an 'escalation of violence' during protests on July 13, 17, 20 and 24, involving hundreds of people.
The force added that officers were assaulted, missiles were thrown, vehicles were vandalised and the hotel sustained broken windows and graffiti.
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Fury as number of foreign sex offenders & violent criminals jailed in England and Wales hits record high
Foreign nationals also make up a staggering percentage of those charged with sex attacks in London over the last seven years FOREIGN CONS UP Fury as number of foreign sex offenders & violent criminals jailed in England and Wales hits record high Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE NUMBER of foreign sex and violent offenders locked up in England and Wales has soared to record highs, damning new data reveals. Official figures show 1,731 foreign-national sex offenders were in prison in June - up nearly 10 per cent in a year and almost three times the rate of British offenders. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 'They need to be kicked out of the country immediately. Starmer must suspend visas and aid until countries take back their nationals', says Robert Jenrick Credit: PA Violent foreign inmates hit 3,250 - the highest since records began - with an 8.8 per cent annual rise, nearly double the 4.8 per cent for UK nationals. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: 'Instead of releasing criminals early to free up prison space, the Government must deport every single one of these foreign offenders. "They need to be kicked out of the country immediately. Starmer must suspend visas and aid until countries take back their nationals.' Albanians remain the largest foreign nationality in UK prisons, with 1,193 behind bars - many for drug offences. Poles, Romanians and Irish make up the next biggest groups, followed by Lithuanians and Jamaicans. Foreign nationals now account for more than one in 10 sex offenders and violent criminals in custody, and one in five drug offenders. The new figures, published by the Ministry of Justice, follow months of pressure for greater transparency on the nationality of offenders. Some of the protests at asylum hotels have been sparked by alleged sex attacks by migrants. The Sun also recently revealed that four in ten people charged over sex attacks in London in the last seven years were foreign nationals. Police figures showed these migrants were behind 2,809 of the 7,798 alleged crimes recorded in the capital since 2018 - despite making up less than a quarter of the city's population. Manchester Police Raids smash down doors in early morning raids on postal drug dealers
Glasgow Times
6 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs asks judge to throw out guilty verdicts or grant a new trial
'This conviction stands alone, but it shouldn't stand at all,' the Wednesday filing said. Sean 'Diddy' Combs (Elizabeth Williams via AP) Combs's lawyers argue that his two felony convictions were a unique misapplication of the federal Mann Act, which bars interstate commerce related to prostitution. 'To our knowledge, Mr Combs is the only person ever convicted of violating the statute for conduct anything like this,' a Wednesday filing from Combs's legal team said. Combs, 55, was convicted in a New York federal court of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution for flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, for sexual encounters. While he was acquitted of more serious charges, he could still get up to a decade in prison at his sentencing, which is set for October 3. His lawyers argued that none of the elements normally used for Mann Act convictions, including profiting from sex work or coercion, were present here. 'It is undisputed that he had no commercial motive and that all involved were adults,' the filing said. 'The men chose to travel and engage in the activity voluntarily. The verdict confirms the women were not vulnerable or exploited or trafficked or sexually assaulted.' Sean Diddy Combs (Ian West/PA) The lawyers said that Combs, 'at most, paid to engage in voyeurism as part of a 'swingers' lifestyle' and argued that 'does not constitute 'prostitution' under a properly limited definition of the statutory term'. Combs was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, charges that could have put one of hip-hop's celebrated figures in prison for life. The new motion asks Judge Arun Subramanian to vacate the jury's verdict, or to order a new trial whose evidence is limited to matters related to the Mann Act counts, because of 'severe spill over prejudice from reams of inflammatory evidence' related to the more serious counts. Prosecutors insisted during the eight-week trial that Combs had coerced, threatened and sometimes viciously forced two ex-girlfriends to have sex with male sex workers to satisfy his sexual urges. They cited multiple acts of violence he carried out against them as proof that they had no say. A day earlier, Combs's team asked the judge to free him on a 50 million dollar bond while he awaits sentencing in October after a jury found him not guilty of the most serious federal charges he faced earlier this month. His lawyer argued that conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn are dangerous, noting that others convicted of similar prostitution-related offences were typically released before sentencing. Subramanian previously denied a request that Combs be released on bail while he awaits sentencing, citing a now-infamous video of Combs beating a former girlfriend and photographs showing injuries to another ex-girlfriend. The judge has not yet ruled on either of this week's motions.
Western Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs asks judge to throw out guilty verdicts or grant a new trial
'This conviction stands alone, but it shouldn't stand at all,' the Wednesday filing said. Sean 'Diddy' Combs (Elizabeth Williams via AP) Combs's lawyers argue that his two felony convictions were a unique misapplication of the federal Mann Act, which bars interstate commerce related to prostitution. 'To our knowledge, Mr Combs is the only person ever convicted of violating the statute for conduct anything like this,' a Wednesday filing from Combs's legal team said. Combs, 55, was convicted in a New York federal court of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution for flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, for sexual encounters. While he was acquitted of more serious charges, he could still get up to a decade in prison at his sentencing, which is set for October 3. His lawyers argued that none of the elements normally used for Mann Act convictions, including profiting from sex work or coercion, were present here. 'It is undisputed that he had no commercial motive and that all involved were adults,' the filing said. 'The men chose to travel and engage in the activity voluntarily. The verdict confirms the women were not vulnerable or exploited or trafficked or sexually assaulted.' Sean Diddy Combs (Ian West/PA) The lawyers said that Combs, 'at most, paid to engage in voyeurism as part of a 'swingers' lifestyle' and argued that 'does not constitute 'prostitution' under a properly limited definition of the statutory term'. Combs was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, charges that could have put one of hip-hop's celebrated figures in prison for life. The new motion asks Judge Arun Subramanian to vacate the jury's verdict, or to order a new trial whose evidence is limited to matters related to the Mann Act counts, because of 'severe spill over prejudice from reams of inflammatory evidence' related to the more serious counts. Prosecutors insisted during the eight-week trial that Combs had coerced, threatened and sometimes viciously forced two ex-girlfriends to have sex with male sex workers to satisfy his sexual urges. They cited multiple acts of violence he carried out against them as proof that they had no say. A day earlier, Combs's team asked the judge to free him on a 50 million dollar bond while he awaits sentencing in October after a jury found him not guilty of the most serious federal charges he faced earlier this month. His lawyer argued that conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn are dangerous, noting that others convicted of similar prostitution-related offences were typically released before sentencing. Subramanian previously denied a request that Combs be released on bail while he awaits sentencing, citing a now-infamous video of Combs beating a former girlfriend and photographs showing injuries to another ex-girlfriend. The judge has not yet ruled on either of this week's motions.
