Residents near a migrant hotel in Essex stormed by rioters said they have been ‘sickened’ by the violence which unfolded on their doorstep.
Far-right activists surrounded the Bell Hotel in Epping on Thursday evening,hurling bottles and clashing with police.
Debris from the unrest which reached a peak last night lay strewn across the hotel car park.
Metal barriers surround the hotel which was ‘under siege’ with dozens of activists,some with their faces covered,shouting slogans including ‘send them back.’
One man draped in an England flag jumped on the police van (UKNIP)
Barriers have been constructed in front of the hotel this morning to protect people inside (Picture: John Dunne/Metro)One protester jumped on a police van roof as rioters goaded officers who called in reinforcements. Police from the Met and Essex were called to the scene.Staff at the hotel told Metro that that the car park was a no-go zone after the riot as they feared the protesters would return in force.One,who looked visibly shaken,said: ‘Everyone is ok but no one is allowed in the car park. The police say so.’A nearby resident,48,who did not want to be named,said: ‘I was sickened by what I saw. This is not acceptable. We have families and having these thugs shouting and chucking stuff is disgusting.’Another said: ‘It’s not ideal living right near a migrant hotel but what is worse is these rioters causing mayhem. There is rubbish everywhere from stuff they have chucked and they sort of lay siege to the hotel which must be terrifying for those inside.’
Police held down a protester outside the Bell Hotel (Pictures: UKNIP)Videos have been circulating online of protesters,many draped in the English flag,jumping on police vans driving towards the centre of the unrest.One police van sped through an improvised blockade on Epping High Street narrowly missing a person who appears to refuse to move out of the way.Some witnesses have said he was run over by the police car,but there are no reports of any injuries.Most of the demonstrations earlier in the day were peaceful,but riot police were called after men,some of whom were masked,threw bottles,eggs and flour at anti-racism counter-protesters.
Someone smashes up the windscreen of a police van (UKNIP)Demonstrators even threw a log at police forcing them to retreat back to the hotel to form a wheel of shields.Chants of ‘Send them back’ echoed off the walls as other members of the mob hurled missiles at police blockades.Most of the carnage was filmed by the rioters themselves and shared widely on social media.At one point a protester tries to defend themself from a riot van with a St George’s flag.Chaos unfolded again when the riot police entered the area,blocked by many of the locals protesting against the hotel,where a migrant who is facing multiple sexual assault charges on a child had been staying.Ethiopian man Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu,38,has been 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.Kebatu lives at the hotel and has since been remanded in custody after his hearing last week,but denies any wrongdoing.
A man stands on the windscreen of a riot van (UKNIP)
Protesters threw projectiles at counter demonstrators (UKNIP)
A police vehicle was heavily damaged (UKNIP)On Sunday,a group showed up to protest,and some men launched an attack on two hotel workers who had just got off the bus to begin their shift,mistaking them for hotel residents.
A police officer stands at the entrance (Credits: UKNIP)Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: ‘Disruption and offending is never an appropriate response,no matter the strength of feeling in this case,and on this issue.‘People protesting peacefully,lawfully and responsibly cause us – and the wider public – no concern.‘However,we can never and will never tolerate criminal violence of any sort,and anyone identified as committing a crime will be dealt with robustly.’One Epping resident said of the protests: ‘There is a very vocal hardcore local group.‘Most people would rather it [the hotel] was not there,that it was back as a hotel,but it is what it is,and maybe there’s a case for new arrivals to be kept somewhere more secure and be checked.’
A major public order incident erupted in Epping on Thursday(Credits: UKNIP)Earlier on in the week,graffiti was scrawled on the hotel windows,‘Go home’ and ‘This is England,die’.An Essex Police spokesman said: ‘We’re responding to disorder in Epping tonight where peaceful protests were disrupted by violent behaviour.‘Suspects have been identified for vehicle damage,officer assault,and vandalising property.‘This behaviour does not represent Epping—those responsible will face justice.’
Tensions are boiling over for a second day in Epping (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)
Some men had to be restrained (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)Local community leaders are still raising concerns about the hotel. Chris Whitbread,the leader of Epping Forest District Council,said they warned the Home Office that the site was ‘entirely inappropriate’.‘Placing vulnerable individuals from a wide range of cultural backgrounds into an unsupervised setting,in the centre of a small town,without the proper infrastructure,support or services,is both reckless and unacceptable,’ he said.‘It puts pressure on local services,causes understandable concern for residents,and is unfair on those placed in the hotel. The Home Office must now face the reality of the situation.’
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