Protesters in Epping ‘won’t stop’ until migrant hotel is closed

Hundreds of protesters have descended on a hotel at the centre of an anti-migrant storm as demonstrations continue to spread across the country.

Over 1,000 are expected outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, amid a growing clamour for it to be closed after an Ethiopian asylum seeker staying there was charged with sexually assaulting a schoolgirl days after arriving in the UK.

Police have thrown a huge ring of steel around the hotel, while officers from forces including Merseyside, Surrey, Lancashire, the City of London and Sussex have been drafted in to the market town support Essex Police.

The force has faced questions over its handling of the protests after footage emerged of them escorting pro-migrant activists to the hotel on July 17 – something they initially denied doing. 

Over the weekend, angry crowds gathered in Norwich, Leeds, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Southampton and Nottinghamshire – with counter-protesters fighting back by insisting ‘refugees are welcome’.

The largest demonstration today is set to be at The Bell Hotel, where protesters – some draped in St George’s flags – have gathered with large placards saying ‘protect our kids’ and ‘stop the boats’.

Stand Up to Racism counter-protesters have also descended on Epping, marching through the streets with placards saying ‘far right are not welcome in Epping’ and ‘refugees welcome’.

Political activist Tommy Robinson said on July 20 that he was ‘coming to Epping next Sunday… and bringing thousands more with me’. But in a later post, he said he may no longer be attending. 

It comes as it was revealed an elite division of police officers will be assembled to monitor social media for signs of civil unrest – a move which critics argue is controlling free speech.

While police will be monitoring what’s being said online, officers are also being deployed on the streets. 

In Epping, protest organiser Sarah White, 40, said they would continue demos until the hotel closed.

The mother-of-three said: ‘We won’t stop. Today is going to be a great opportunity for our voices to be heard.

‘It’s going to be great to get a message out that we don’t want these hotels. It’s shocking.’

She also condemned those who wanted to ’cause trouble’ and said it was hoped to be a ‘strictly’ peaceful but ‘loud’ protest.

The business owner said: ‘This is about sending a clear message that we don’t want a hotel in our town housing undocumented men.

‘It needs closing down. No area should have them. I’m very excited about today.’

Maureen Chapman, 73, has lived in Epping for 50 years and said she felt ‘under threat’.

She said: ‘I have grandchildren living locally. We want this closed and we won’t stop until it is.

‘It’s shocking. I don’t feel safe. We’re under threat.

‘These people moaning, would they want it at the end of their street?’

Mother Rose Thomas, 44, from Basildon, said she was ‘excited’ for the day.

She said: ‘There’s already a strong message. We don’t want the hotels full of men from foreign countries.’

A large group of counter demonstrators joined shortly after the protest began.

Around 300 of them were followed by police to a fenced off field near the hotel.

The two groups were only separated by a few metres and began screaming insults and swearing at each other.

The counter-demonstrators signs included: ‘Don’t let the far-right divide us with their hatred.’

Chants of ‘traitor’ were being shouted back by the anti-migrant demonstrators.

One anti-migrant protester said: ‘We fear it’s going all kick off. All hell could break loose.’

The Epping protests have been sparked by the charging of asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, with sexual assault after he allegedly attempted to kiss a 14-year-old girl. He denies the charges.

The scenes in Epping have thrown the immigration debate back into the limelight, with demonstrations later held in Norfolk where the Home Office announced plans to change an asylum seeker hotel from housing families to single men. 

There have also been protests outside the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf which is set to be used to offer temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.

A major protest is planned outside the four-star hotel in London’s financial district again today. 

Protests against migrant hotels have escalated this weekend with tense stand–offs in Norwich, Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Leeds on Saturday.

The anti-migrant sentiment is being fuelled by far-right accounts on social media – and the Government has taken action by setting up an elite force to monitor posts.

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. 

The new police division, 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 which quickly spread across the country.

Angela Rayner last week warned the Government needs to address the ‘real concerns that people have about immigration’. 

But critics say the social media crackdown is ‘disturbing’ and raises concerns for free speech.

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, told The Telegraph: ‘Two-tier Keir can’t police the streets, so he’s trying to police opinions instead. They’re setting up a central team to monitor what you post, what you share, what you think, because deep down they know the public don’t buy what they’re selling.’

The new police unit, called the National Internet Intelligence Investigations team, will work out of the National Police Coordination Centre in Westminster.

The backlash to the plans has reignited anger over a judge’s decision to jail Lucy Connolly, a mother-of-one who is married to a Conservative councillor, for 31 months over a racist tweet after the Southport murders. 

For today’s protest, Essex Police have imposed restrictions to curb any violence or disorder, saying it is necessary and proportionate.

The force said residents have reported feeling ‘trapped’, fearful of leaving their homes and anxious about protest activity. 

There will be a ban on anyone wearing face coverings and there will be designated sites opposite the hotel for protesters.

A dispersal order will be in effect from 12pm on Sunday until 8am on Monday, covering Epping town centre and nearby transport hubs. 

The order gives officers the power to remove anyone suspected of anti-social behaviour.

Hotel residents and staff have been advised to remain indoors after 5pm as some experienced verbal and physical harassment, including a resident chased and injured while returning to the hotel, the force added.

A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘These claims are completely untrue. This new capability is not about monitoring what people say on their social media feeds, it is about equipping our police forces to respond more rapidly to the needs of the communities they serve, and enabling them to react in an agile way to real-time information about incidents and emergencies affecting those communities.

‘As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, we are restoring visible, neighbourhood policing, focused on the public’s priorities, including halving knife crime and violence against women, clamping down on theft and anti-social behaviour, and ensuring that people can feel safe in their own high streets.’

A National Police Chiefs’ Council spokesperson said: ‘Forces will continue to facilitate the right to peaceful protest.

‘Policing continues to work with partners and the Home Office to develop its capabilities, including closely monitoring the latest intelligence and information to ensure we are best placed to respond swiftly and decisively to reports of serious disorder or related criminality.

‘We have mechanisms in place, which have been enhanced following last summer, to enable us to mobilise resources at a regional and national level if required.’