Latest news with #riots
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Merseyside officers called in to help police Epping asylum hotel protests amid fears of widespread riots
Police officers who dealt with last summer's Southport stabbings riots were called in to help as protesters clashed outside an asylum hotel in Essex on Sunday. Merseyside Police joined officers from other forces including the Metropolitan Police, Northamptonshire, Lancashire, Surrey, Sussex, and the City of London to aid local police by monitoring crowds of protesters and counter-protesters outside the Bell Hotel in Epping as demonstrators gathered for a fifth time. It was the latest in a string of protests in the Essex town after asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. He denies the charges and remains in police custody. As many as 500 demonstrators waved union flags outside the hotel, while Stand Up To Racism counter-protesters marched to the hotel with signs reading: 'Stop scapegoating refugees and migrants'. Protests were also held at a number of other hotels believed to be housing asylum seekers across the country, including in Wolverhampton, Norwich, and Greater Manchester. In Essex, a 52-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman were arrested, as well as a 27-year-old woman who is believed to be part of the counter-protest. Essex Police said it had established protest restrictions due to repeated serious disruption, violence, and harm to the community during previous demonstrations, adding that residents have reported feeling 'trapped', fearful of leaving their homes and anxious about protest activity previously. There was a ban on anyone wearing face coverings and that there were designated sites opposite the hotel for protesters following an 'escalation of violence' during previous protests. It comes after the announcement an elite unit of detectives will be convened to monitor social media over anti-migrant protests. Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner issued a stark warning to Keir Starmer last week over fears the UK could once again face a summer of protests. She told the prime minister it was 'incumbent on the government to acknowledge the real concerns people have and to deliver improvements to people's lives in their communities'. The weekend saw demonstrations spread across the country, with clashes between police and protesters at Cresta Court in Trafford, Greater Manchester, on Sunday. Demonstrators also gathered at Canary Wharf in London, Leeds, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, and Southampton. West Yorkshire Police said one person was arrested and charged with obstructing a police officer in Leeds. A spokesperson for the National Police Chief's Council (NPCC) said: 'Mutual aid is routinely used to mobilise officers across the country to ensure public safety, and so the National Police Coordination Centre has been supporting Essex Police to ensure the force has the resilience it needs.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Merseyside officers called in to help police Epping asylum hotel protests amid fears of widespread riots
Police officers who dealt with last summer's Southport stabbings riots were called in to help as protesters clashed outside an asylum hotel in Essex on Sunday. Merseyside Police joined officers from other forces including the Metropolitan Police, Northamptonshire, Lancashire, Surrey, Sussex, and the City of London to aid local police by monitoring crowds of protesters and counter-protesters outside the Bell Hotel in Epping as demonstrators gathered for a fifth time. It was the latest in a string of protests in the Essex town after asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. He denies the charges and remains in police custody. As many as 500 demonstrators waved union flags outside the hotel, while Stand Up To Racism counter-protesters marched to the hotel with signs reading: 'Stop scapegoating refugees and migrants'. Protests were also held at a number of other hotels believed to be housing asylum seekers across the country, including in Wolverhampton, Norwich, and Greater Manchester. In Essex, a 52-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman were arrested, as well as a 27-year-old woman who is believed to be part of the counter-protest. Essex Police said it had established protest restrictions due to repeated serious disruption, violence, and harm to the community during previous demonstrations, adding that residents have reported feeling 'trapped', fearful of leaving their homes and anxious about protest activity previously. There was a ban on anyone wearing face coverings and that there were designated sites opposite the hotel for protesters following an 'escalation of violence' during previous protests. It comes after the announcement an elite unit of detectives will be convened to monitor social media over anti-migrant protests. Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner issued a stark warning to Keir Starmer last week over fears the UK could once again face a summer of protests. She told the prime minister it was 'incumbent on the government to acknowledge the real concerns people have and to deliver improvements to people's lives in their communities'. The weekend saw demonstrations spread across the country, with clashes between police and protesters at Cresta Court in Trafford, Greater Manchester, on Sunday. Demonstrators also gathered at Canary Wharf in London, Leeds, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, and Southampton. West Yorkshire Police said one person was arrested and charged with obstructing a police officer in Leeds. A spokesperson for the National Police Chief's Council (NPCC) said: 'Mutual aid is routinely used to mobilise officers across the country to ensure public safety, and so the National Police Coordination Centre has been supporting Essex Police to ensure the force has the resilience it needs.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Keir Starmer accused of having an 'obsession with censorship' as it emerges that elite police units will monitor social media posts on migrants for early signs of unrest
Keir Starmer was last night accused of an 'obsession with censorship' after it emerged an elite team of police officers will monitor social media posts to quell riots. Detectives are set to be drawn from forces around the country as the Government scrambles to crack down on potential violence by flagging up early signs of civil unrest online. It comes amid fears Britain could face another summer of disorder just 12 months after a wave of riots following the Southport murders. Demonstrations have flared up outside The Bell Hotel, in Epping, Essex, after an Ethiopian asylum seeker was charged with sexual offences against a schoolgirl. Protesters – and counter-protesters from Stand Up to Racism – gathered outside the hotel again yesterday, with more demos planned at other migrant hotels including in Wolverhampton, Cheshire and Canary Wharf, amid local concerns about hotels being used to accommodate single male migrants. The new National Internet Intelligence Investigations team, assembled by the Home Office, will aim to 'maximise social media intelligence' after police forces were heavily criticised for their handling of last year's riots. But critics say the social media crackdown is 'disturbing' and raises concerns for free speech. It also comes after footage emerged of Essex Police escorting pro-migrant protesters to the Epping hotel before clashes broke out. He has written to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper about the 'dangerous development', asking: 'Why is funding being prioritised for online speech surveillance instead of increasing front-line policing or addressing the causes of the migrant hotel protests?' Madeleine Stone, of civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, said the new unit to monitor social media was 'another example of this Government's obsession with censorship and eerily reminiscent of the Covid-era counter-disinformation units, which faced huge backlash.' The Home Office was contacted for comment. A National Police Chiefs' Council spokesman said: 'Forces will continue to facilitate the right to peaceful protest,' adding that they were 'closely monitoring the latest intelligence to ensure we are best placed to respond swiftly to reports of serious disorder. 'We have mechanisms in place, enhanced following last summer, to enable us to mobilise resources at a regional and national level if required.'
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
2 in 5 arrested over last summer's riots had been reported for domestic abuse
Two out of every five people arrested after participating in last summer's riots had been previously reported to the police for domestic abuse, the Guardian can disclose. Police data released under freedom of information (FoI) laws shows that 41% of 899 people arrested for taking part in the violent disorder last July and August had been reported for crimes associated with intimate partner violence. For those arrested by one police force, this figure was as high as 68%. Previous offences include actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm, stalking, breach of restraint and non-molestation orders, controlling coercive behaviour and criminal damage. The disclosures come amid a growing debate over the legitimacy of protests outside asylum hotels. Police have issued a dispersal order at Epping, Essex, after a series of demonstrations outside the Bell hotel, which broke out after an Ethiopian asylum seeker who had recently arrived on a small boat was charged with sexual assault against a local girl. Ministers have said protesters are 'upset for legitimate reasons'. Far-right activists have become involved in promoting them online and have been present, in some cases clashing with police. Last summer's riots spread across the country in response to the murder of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on 29 July. Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were murdered by Axel Rudakubana, who has been jailed for a minimum of 52 years. The Guardian's data was obtained through FoI requests sent to 21 police forces covering the 27 towns and cities across England and Northern Ireland where riots took place. The 27 towns were identified as sites of significant disorder in a House of Commons briefing document in September. Between 30 July and 7 August 2024, an estimated 29 anti-immigration demonstrations and riots took place. Many of these were violent, with participants attacking mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers. In Bristol, where there were 60 arrests, more than two-thirds of those arrested had been the subject of a previous domestic abuse report. In Hartlepool and Middlesbrough, Cleveland police reported there had been 107 arrests, 44 of whom had been subject to a prior domestic abuse report. In Rotherham, where rioters set fire to an asylum hotel, 75 people were arrested, 35 of whom had been reported for domestic abuse, South Yorkshire police said. Joshua Lane, a 27-year-old former serviceman who threw missiles at police guarding the hotel, pleaded guilty to violent disorder. He had previously received a suspended sentence for stalking, battery and criminal damage. There were 91 arrests in Sunderland where rioters set fire to cars, a building and attacked a mosque. Of those, 38 were subject to a prior domestic abuse report. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion One of the first arrests by Merseyside police for participation in the Southport riot was made after a suspect in a domestic incident was identified by officers based on footage from the previous day's violent disorder. Merseyside police arrested 160 people after days of disturbances in Liverpool and Southport, but did not provide the Guardian with a number of prior domestic abuse reports because of prohibitive costs. Gareth Metcalfe, 44, described by a judge as 'at the forefront of the disorder' in Southport, had previous convictions including sexual assault and breach of a non-molestation order. In Hull, where 47 of the 151 people arrested had been reported for prior domestic abuse, Ethan Armstrong, 26, who was jailed for violent disorder, had previously been convicted for causing actual bodily harm after repeatedly punching an ex-girlfriend. The Metropolitan police said there were 165 arrests in Whitehall last summer in connection to the riots, 48 of whom had previously been reported for domestic abuse. This information provided by police forces indicates overlaps between public violent disorder and domestic violence and abuse. Outcomes for reports held by police indicate that less than a quarter of individuals had been charged for any of the domestic abuse offences for which they were a suspect. Isabella Lowenthal-Isaacs, the policy manager at Women's Aid, said: 'A year on from the terrible Southport attacks on young girls, and as conversation about far-right protests once again starts to appear in the media, it is tempting to treat these events as isolated. 'However, the reality is that these acts of violence are part of a wider pattern rooted in the same dynamics that drive domestic abuse and violence against women and girls: control, coercion, and misogyny.' The National Police Chiefs' Council indicates that by May, a total of 1,840 arrests had been made in relation to the disorder and there were 1,103 charges related to the violence, most of which were serious public order offences. Most of those charged have come from the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods. Analysis of the Crime Survey for England and Wales data also shows that in the areas where riots took place, there is a higher prevalence of domestic abuse incidents (39 per 1,000 people) compared with the rest of the country (27 per 1,000 people). In Middlesbrough, a protest that began as two minutes' silence for the three lives lost ended in a 1,000-strong riot as homes and cars were damaged, with 'race checkpoints' set up for drivers. A recent report from the home affairs committee into the police response to the rioting called on the police forces to develop greater capacity to monitor and respond to social media. It also recommended the government set out ambitious reforms to meet its commitment to halve violence against women and girls. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The scale of violence and abuse suffered by women and girls in this country is nothing less than a national emergency. 'That's why we have pledged to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and will set out our transformative strategy to achieve that goal in the coming months.'
The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
We're ready for riots, minister declares amid growing fears of summer unrest
Ministers are ready to respond if fresh riots erupt this summer as tensions simmer over migrant hotels in communities across the UK. The business secretary has said government agencies, the police and emergency services are prepared for potential disorder after violent demonstrations outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping, Essex. Local Conservative MP Dr Neil Hudson has warned the riots in Essex are a ' crisis that has reached boiling point '. And deputy prime minister Angela Rayner this week issued a stark warning to her fellow cabinet ministers, warning them the UK faces a repeat of last year's summer riots unless 'the government shows it can address people's concerns'. Asked if the UK was prepared to handle another summer of disorder, Jonathan Reynolds said: 'All the government, all the key agencies, the police, they prepare for all situations. "So I wouldn't want you to be talking this up or speculating in a way which is unhelpful. Of course, the state prepares for all situations. "But I think what we've got to talk about is: why are people unhappy with, say, the asylum system? Are they reasonable? Are they upset for legitimate reasons? Yes, we share those as a government. That is why we are sorting it out. "And I understand the frustrations people have, but ultimately, you solve those frustrations and solve the problem by fixing and getting a grip of the core issue, which is what we're doing." He said the government was getting a grip on the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, with the number across the country having come down from around 400 hotels to "just over 200". Police have already warned that violent demonstrations are taking a 'massive toll' on forces across the UK. Unrest in Epping outside the Bell Hotel housing asylum seekers has already cost £100,000, with Essex Police forced to draft in support from neighbouring forces after the protests turned ugly with bottles and flares thrown at police, injuring eight officers. Last July and August, 40,000 officer shifts were worked by public order officers over 10 days to tackle the riots sparked by misinformation online after three girls were stabbed to death in Southport. With concerns mounting that the UK could be facing another summer of unrest, the police union has warned that forces are close to breaking point. Brian Booth, deputy chair of the Police Federation, said the UK's national mobilisation plan, which sees officers redeployed to assist other forces when needed, means staff miss rest days and additional hours at a time when resignation rates are 'off the scale' due to low morale and pay. He added: 'The demand has got too high, the service is stretched to the maximum. It's like an elastic band, and all of a sudden, we'll have a snap. There's only so much pressure that can be placed on them.' Demonstrations threatened to spread to London this week after false rumours claimed migrants were being moved from the Bell Hotel to the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf.
