21-07-2025
Tommy Robinson is the last thing Epping needs
Much of the reporting on the anti-migrant protests at the Bell Hotel in Epping has focused on the violence and disorder. But from speaking with residents, I believe the vast majority of protestors are peaceful, although some blame the police for provoking the situation by allowing 'counter-protestors' from Stand Up To Racism into the area on Thursday night.
Orla Minihane is a local mum of three who has lived in the area since she was 12 years old. She is also a Reform council candidate and a leader of the peaceful protests around the Bell Hotel, which began as a result of increasing local concern about the behaviour of migrant men living there.
The arrest and charging of Hadush Kebatu, a 38-year-old migrant who arrived in the UK on June 29, for the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl has amplified these fears. This was the final straw for the people of Epping, who feel their once safe town has become plagued by shoplifting and threatening behaviour from the hotel's tenants.
Orla told me how on Thursday night the locals were determined to keep the protest peaceful. She described their surprise at seeing 'so many police everywhere ... on all the side streets' and that they 'came in heavy-handed'. Despite this, and as hundreds of locals gathered, the protest stayed calm. But within an hour Orla said that reports began to come in of masked Stand up to Racism protestors travelling to Epping via public transport.
That night Essex Police, the Met and British Transport Police were present. All three forces have denied escorting these masked men towards the Bell, although the Met and Essex police have confirmed their vehicles were used to transport these protestors away after the violence had begun.
Even taken at face value this seems very strange. Why would the police allow these two groups to confront each other, making a conflict inevitable? Is it common practice for violent protestors to be escorted to safety rather than being arrested? As Orla said to me, if masked counter-protestors were 'walking towards a Palestine march, what would happen? They wouldn't let them anywhere near'.
Very soon after the violence began, these so-called anti-fascist protestors withdrew, leaving residents and police to clash with each other on the streets of Epping.
Despite this, residents gathered again on Sunday night, with the protest led by local women, who stood in a line holding hands as they chanted 'protect our kids'. Homemade signs were held, bearing slogans like 'make England safe again', 'deport foreign criminals' and 'I'm not far-Right – I'm worried about my kids'.
This last slogan captures the beliefs of the protestors. They are absolutely clear that this is a group of residents, especially parents, who believe the large number of migrant men housed at the Bell represent a grave threat to local children.
This fear is perfectly reasonable. Official figures show that Afghans in the UK are 22 times more likely than Brits to be convicted of sexual assault. Indeed, according to the Centre for Migration Control, Home Office statistics indicate that 87 nationalities have a higher conviction rate for sexual violence than the British population.
This shouldn't be surprising, nor is it racist to recognise this reality. Afghan men are raised in a profoundly misogynistic culture, where women are treated like property.
In the last 24 hours, Tommy Robinson has suggested he will attend next Sunday's protest at the Bell, before apparently changing his mind in a video posted today. He should stay away.
The brave men and women of Epping are sending a powerful message. The local council leader, and the MP, are behind them, both calling for the asylum seekers to leave the Bell Hotel. Outsiders, whether supporters of Robinson or masked 'anti-fascists', will only distract from the real protest, and make women and girls less safe.
