Far-right supporters attacked police and vandalised property following a protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping, Essex. Hundreds gathered on Thursday, with local residents joined by far-right activists carrying loudspeakers and banners. While the initial protest was peaceful, clashes later erupted when riot police intervened to protect a counter-demonstration by antiracism activists.
Police were pelted with plastic bottles, eggs and flour, and the violence escalated as crowds directly attacked officers and vandalised police vans. Children as young as preteens, some masked, were seen throwing projectiles. The town's high street was blocked off for hours. Essex Police confirmed suspects have been identified for vehicle damage, assault on officers, and vandalism.
The protest follows a previous gathering on Sunday where two security guards were seriously assaulted in what police treat as racially aggravated attacks. A man was arrested on suspicion of affray after damage to the Bell hotel and racial abuse. Tensions were further heightened by the court appearance of an asylum seeker charged with sexual assault, who denies the offences.
Local Conservative MPs Neil Hudson and Alex Burghart called for the immediate closure of the hotel, describing the situation as 'increasingly alarming and distressing'. Weyman Bennett of Stand Up To Racism, who joined the counter-protest, said peaceful demonstrators were attacked by far-right groups. The Refugee Council's chief executive urged an end to the use of asylum hotels, calling them a 'flashpoint for tension'.
