Chaos returns to Epping as protesters clash with police outside asylum hotel
Protesters have once again descended on Epping, clashing with police as they tried to storm the infamous Bell Hotel amid an ongoing High Court case.
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Dozens of demonstrators attempted to storm past officers and enter the controversial asylum seeker hotel at the centre of a High Court case.
Chants of "send them back" and "go home" were heard as they marched through the streets waving England flags – with some wearing face coverings.
"We are so angry. We won't stop," one protester said.
It marks the latest in the string of anti-immigration protests outside the site, which first broke out after an asylum seeker staying there, Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl last month.
Epping Forest District Council has since been granted an interim injunction by the High Court, stopping the hotel’s owner, Somani Hotels, from using the hotel to accommodate asylum seekers beyond September 12.
The Home Office has since launched a bid to appeal the High Court's decision not to let it intervene in the case and today argued migrants’ rights trump those of Epping residents.
Three senior judges are set to rule on whether to overturn the injunction on Friday.
Locals have argued they are concerned about a nearby primary school, Epping St John's, with pupils set to return next week.
"We have no choice. This is children’s safety. It’s really scary. It’s a terrifying time.
"It’s so scary. They are not protected. The school warned parents in the summer that children need to be careful. We really are so worried," protester Lindsey Thompson, 58, told the Telegraph.
Essex Police said it was aware of the protest planned for Thursday evening.
A Section 60AA order, which bans the wearing of face coverings, was in place from 2pm on Thursday until 2am Friday, police added.
Chief Supt Leighton Hammett said: "Recent protests outside the hotel have passed off peacefully, with no issues. However, during a demonstration on Sunday officers observed some people wearing balaclavas and other face coverings in an attempt to conceal their identity."
"There was also a small group of people who we don’t believe have attended earlier protests who displayed hostility and confrontational behaviour, which we’ve not seen in previous demonstrations.
"We want to make sure anyone attending and wanting to protest peacefully and lawfully is able to do so safely, which is why we’re putting this order in place. This order gives our officers the power to direct someone wearing a face covering to remove it or face arrest."