Smoke bombs and bottles thrown at police during migrant hotel protest
On Sunday night, scores of police officers stood by in riot gear as the crowd gathered in the early evening outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, which was protected by a line of police vans and six-foot-high fencing.
The protest was the third outside the hotel in the last week following the arrest of an Ethiopian migrant who was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
On Thursday evening, eight officers were injured and police vehicles were damaged as a demonstration at the hotel spilt over into violence.
The mood of the protest on Sunday was largely peaceful at first, with several people in the crowd draped in Union flags while others carried placards, including one that read: 'You are paying billions to prop up a broken asylum system! Look after our own.'
Some marched down the road carrying an England flag emblazoned with the words, 'Save Our Kids', while others in the crowd called for protests to be held weekly until the hotel closed.
There were intermittent chants of 'Keir Starmer's a w----r' and 'Whose streets? Our streets', from people in the crowd, which included men, women and children.
Events turned uglier as several glass bottles were thrown and shattered on the ground in front of police. At least one pink smoke bomb appeared to land on top of a police van.
Essex Police had announced a Section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 banning anyone from wearing a face covering at the protest tonight, and saying they risked arrest if they did.
Several members of the crowd flouted the order by wearing balaclavas or scarves pulled across their faces with hoodies over their heads, but police did not appear to confront them.
Essex Police admitted that 'one individual' had been arrested in Epping and taken into custody, but no details were given.
Much of the anger at the protest on Thursday was directed against a group of anti-racism protesters who marched through the town towards the hotel.
Members of the crowd hurled objects, including plastic bottles, eggs and a flour bomb, at the group as officers formed a protective cordon around them, and police vehicles were attacked.
But no rival protesters turned up on Sunday night, removing the risk of a potential flashpoint, and it appeared to pass off more peacefully.
An Essex Police spokesman said: 'We have a full policing plan in place to ensure the safety of everyone who is attending.
'To protect the public, this evening we have put a power in place to require the removal of face coverings (under section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994).
'If you are planning to protest peacefully about issues which are important to you and your community, then this is entirely lawful.
'However, on Thursday night, we unfortunately saw incidents of violence and aggression which have no place on our streets.'
They added: 'We will deal robustly and quickly with anyone intent on coming into Epping to commit selfish criminal behaviour.
'We will police impartially, without fear or favour, and have legal responsibilities to protect those who want to exercise their rights peacefully, and we cannot prevent, hinder or restrict peaceful assembly.
'The right to peaceful protest is protected by law and allows everyone freedom of expression, but this must be done respectfully, and if there is a risk to public order, we will act appropriately.
'Thursday's protest saw people wearing face coverings and committing serious acts of disorder.
'Anyone who refuses to remove a face covering when required to do so is likely to be arrested and, if convicted, could face imprisonment.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trans rights protesters daub graffiti including 'child killer' on Wes Streeting's constituency office
Trans rights protesters have claimed responsibility for vandalising Wes Streeting 's constituency office. Police have launched an investigation after the Health Secretary's HQ in Ilford North had its windows smashed and the words 'child killer' daubed on the front in graffiti. Trans Bash Back, a 'trans-led direct action project', claimed responsibility for the stunt in a post on the BlueSky social media platform on Friday. Sharing a photo of the front of Mr Streeting's office shortly after it had been damaged, they wrote: 'Don't want action? Don't kill kids.' The MP for Ilford North has addressed the vandalism but did not reference the accusations made by the activists. 'From day one as Ilford North's MP I've had an accessible and visible constituency office to serve my local community,' he wrote on X. 'Repeated criminal damage is unfair to my staff and an attack on democracy. I will not be commenting further while there is a live police investigation.' Trans Bash Back describes itself as a 'non-violent direct action group' which takes 'risky, and rarely legal' action. On social media, the group has said it 'to sit and watch as trans young people have their healthcare stripped from them. 'We refuse to allow Streeting to cover up their suicides. We refuse to endure the violence and humiliation. They will have to go through us'. One local business owner told The Telegraph that 'glass was broken and there's paint everywhere'. 'It's happened a few times – he's only just had the window replaced,' they added. Mr Streeting has previously been clear about his stance on the gender debate. In an interview with Talk Radio last year, he said: 'Men have penises, women have vaginas; here ends my biology lesson.' A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'Police were called at 10.16 on Friday, Aug 1 to reports of criminal damage at an office in Woodford Avenue, IG4. 'Officers attended the scene, where they discovered that the address had been attacked with paint and the windows had been damaged. 'No one was injured.
Daily Mail
3 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Family man is named as murder victim found dead on riverside bench - as police continue to hunt killer
A man found dead on a riverside bench has been named by police as officers continue their hunt for the killer. The body of Robert Brown, 57, was discovered on the canal footpath near the River Nene, Northampton on Friday morning. Police offered their condolences to his family who are currently being assisted by specialist officers. Northamptonshire Police confirmed Mr Brown had been found 'fatally injured' on the bench, adding that he had suffered a wound to his arm. The exact cause of death has yet to be determined. A cordon remains in place around the scene, with the footpath closed off and the river closed to boats as searches take place. The River Nene is shut off to pedestrians and river traffic between London Road bridge and Nunn Mills Road bridge and will likely remain closed until Tuesday evening while the search takes place. Police are currently appealing for witnesses or CCTV footage of the nearby area, specifically from those living in apartments that overlook the river. On Sunday morning, a massive manhunt was launched into the incident, with house-to-house enquiries taking place and extra police patrols deployed to find his killer. Northamptonshire Police were called by East Midlands Ambulance Service at around 6.30pm on Friday after the man was discovered on a bench behind Auctioneers Court. Northamptonshire Police's Jen Lovatt said: 'This is an exceptionally sad incident and our thoughts and sincere condolences remain with Robert's family, who continue to be supported by specially trained officers. 'His death has understandably also had a big impact on the neighbourhood and wider community, and we would like to thank them for their support while officers continue to carry out searches at the scene, as well as those who have helped with our investigation. 'A dedicated team of officers is working around the clock to establish exactly what happened to Robert. 'A forensic post mortem examination carried out yesterday, Saturday, August 2, found that Robert sustained a wound to his arm. 'However, the exact cause of death is unascertained at this stage. 'We have already spoken with a number of people as part of our ongoing inquiries but we are continuing to appeal for anyone who may have information, who we haven't yet spoken with, to come forward. 'If you were in the area around Auctioneers Court or the riverbank in that area, overnight on Thursday 31 July to Friday 1 August, and you saw or heard anything that you think may be relevant to the investigation, please get in touch. 'We are also keen to hear from local residents, especially those who live in the apartments that overlook the river and the area near to where Robert was found. 'If you or anyone you know has any camera footage, from between approximately 7.30 pm on Thursday, July 31 and 7am on Friday, August 1, or any other information that may assist the investigation, please contact us as soon as possible. 'Likewise, if you think you may have seen or interacted with Robert during this time, we want to hear from you. 'Any information, no matter how small, can help us piece together exactly what happened.'
The Guardian
3 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The horror of Gaza called and an army of rain-soaked Sydney Harbour Bridge marchers, young and old, came in full force
They came in full force in the pouring rain, armed with umbrellas and ponchos and waterproof prams. One man even carried a surfboard. This is Sydney, after all. At least 100,000 people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday as part of a growing global call for a ceasefire in Gaza. It was double the estimated turnout, described by New South Wales police as the largest protest to descend on the city in memory. The massive column of rain-soaked marchers snaked their way across the entire 1.2km length of the bridge. Police temporarily ordered a halt over fears of a crowd crush because of the 'huge number of people taking part'. On Saturday, after the NSW supreme court had ruled in favour of the march proceeding, the Palestine Action Group had crystal ball gazed and said Sunday's bridge crossing would be an 'immense march for humanity'. The group has held a march every Sunday since 7 October 2023. But this was the first time it had taken its rally to Sydney's world-famous landmark, last closed for public assembly in 2023 for World Pride. To regulars of those weekly gatherings, Sunday felt like a tidal wave. Ali, marching with his wife and young daughter, described it as 'history in the making'. 'This is a big moment,' Ali said, as his eight-year-old daughter, Aaliyah, sat on his shoulders calling out 'Free Palestine', her cheeks painted in black, red, white and green. 'The people shut down the Harbour Bridge – the people did it.' But eventually, as scores of mobile phones buzzed on the bridge, the people were turned back. Sign up: AU Breaking News email Police orders were delivered to the masses via periodic text messages as helicopters circled overhead. The first read: 'The march needs to stop due to public safety.' Later, protesters were told to stop walking north and return back to the central business district. The marchers took it all in their stride: everyone was already drenched. As the crowd began to turn around (organisers estimated 300,000 walked on Sunday), a child stood on a pillar, leading a chant: 'In our thousands, in our millions, we are all Palestinians.' The boy was among hundreds of infants and children in attendance. Many brandished homemade signs and banged empty pots and pans. The clanging of metal was meant to signify the ongoing starvation in Gaza. Maila, a year five student, said she would describe Sunday's crowd to her own children one day. 'I'm speaking out for the Palestinian kids like me, and for all of Palestine because of the war that's been going on right now,' she said, her hair adorned with a keffiyeh. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Despite the torrential rain and significant transport delays, spirits remained high. Volunteers in fluorescent hi-vis vests directed protesters away from puddles that had amassed on the concrete. Each time a train whistled past, marchers on the bridge, which links the north and south sides of the city, erupted into cheers and whistles, singing 'Free, free Palestine' to passengers going past. Tourists summiting the bridge's 1,332 steps waved down from its steel arched peak, witnesses to an unfolding moment in history that the state's premier, Chris Minns, had tried to stop. The NSW police acting deputy commissioner Peter McKenna described the protest as the largest he'd seen in his time in the force in Sydney. 'Gee whiz, I wouldn't like to try and do this every Sunday,' he said. 'We're very lucky today that the crowd was well behaved.' At the front of the march,several high-profile Australians, including Julian Assange, held a sign that read 'March for Humanity Save Gaza'. Five NSW Labor MPs were alongside Assange, defying their premier. Two of Minns' ministers were there too: Penny Sharpe and Jihad Dib. The federal Labor MP Ed Husic – dumped from the Albanese cabinet in May – was in the crowd. Husic reiterated calls for the Albanese government to sanction Israel and recognise Palestinian statehood. 'People power has come out, I think, largely because they just cannot abide the treatment that has been seen of little kids,' he said. Abib, in the crowd, agreed. She marched across the bridge carrying a Palestinian flag alongside her daughter. She said it was 'humanity' that had brought marchers out in what was truly atrocious weather. 'I think a lot of people are starting to wake up,' she said. 'We're going on two years [of war]. People that were quiet in the beginning have started to speak.' Abib, whose husband is Palestinian, was struck by the diversity of people. Middle-aged women carried a banner crocheted by volunteers. Elderly couples completed the 4km journey on walking sticks. A group of British men held a sign reading 'Gay Jews 4 Gaza'. As the day began to wind down, Josh Lees, one the main organisers of a march that will be long remembered, told Guardian Australia: 'It's even bigger than my wildest dreams. 'It's a mass march for humanity to stop a genocide, our politicians have to now listen to the will of the people and sanction Israel.'
