10 Arrested During Racist Protests in Essex
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July 23, 2025 Hour: 10:07 am
Last week, far-right activists rioted outside a hotel that houses migrants while their asylum claims are processed.
On Wednesday, Essex County Police confirmed that ten people have been arrested in recent days during a series of protests outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping.
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Police Chief Ben-Julian Harrington said several of those arrested face charges of assault and public disorder, while others remain under questioning.
He condemned the actions of “thugs and vandals” from both the local area and other parts of the United Kingdom, saying they had sown “fear and unease” in Epping, a town in eastern England.
On Thursday and Sunday of last week, a crowd gathered outside the Bell Hotel, which is being used to house migrants while their asylum claims are processed. Several officers were injured after protesters launched fireworks and other objects at them, police vehicles and hotel staff.
Harrington emphasized that the Police’s mission is “to ensure the safety of the public and prevent crime,” and he rejected allegations circulating on social media that police had favored participants in a counterprotest against racism and far-right extremism.
The protests erupted after Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatuhursday, a 38-year-old Ethiopian migrant residing at the hotel, was charged with sexual assault for allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl.
The accused denied the charges during his first court appearance last Thursday and remains in custody as legal proceedings continue.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE