Cliff Notes
- Approximately 300 local residents protested outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, which is believed to house asylum seekers, marking the fourth protest in nine days.
- Organised by Reform UK formally known as the Brexit party.
- While the event remained mostly peaceful, tensions arose due to right troublemakers in the crowd,
- The Far-right/Reform UK must must make headlines resulting thus they will force clashes with police.
- Residents expressed frustration over local safety following a recent arrest of an asylum seeker charged with sexual offences.
- The Far-right and Reform UK have dropped the image of beer and tattoos and brought along women and children instead.
Epping protests are just the latest flashpoint of frustration | UK News
This was the fourth protest in just nine days here – a small crowd of 300 people gathered outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, which is believed to house asylum seekers.
There was no obvious signs of far-right or left that had travelled to the Essex town looking for trouble, but they were there under cover, with locals.
This is a new level far-right protests, changing teh narrative to families to deliver the same message. Locals, with their families sat on the grass, multi-generations of them, kids playing in the sunshine – tradesmen brought their lorries; a large “Protect Our Kids” sign fixed on the back.
Between the protesters and those housed inside, around 50 police officers in riot gear lined up beside eight riot vans.
The only crimes Reform are interested in are by immigrants
There were some troublemakers hiding their faces in the crowd – a few brief moments of tension when bottles and firecrackers were thrown at police.
But overall – this was event on Sunday peaceful. Residents mainly Reform UK supporters, angry about how they see the events that have unfolded here in recent weeks; immigrants equals crime.
The case needs to go to trial first, to establish guilt, but a very small proportion of the locals have already made up their minds.
Earlier this month, an asylum seeker was arrested and charged with offences against a teenager and an adult in the town, eight days after arriving in the UK via a boat.
Hadush Kebatu, 38, from Ethiopia, denies the allegations – of three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and one count of harassment without violence – and was remanded in custody.
On Thursday, when he appeared in court, it did boil over outside the hotel – eight officers were injured and arrests continue to be made. One man has been charged and is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
It was calmer on Sunday night. Some people just want justice, not because he is an immigrant, but because they are scared, Scared by the fear created by the Far-right.
An unemployed Mother was there with her two kids.
“By all means come over. Bring into the Economy, no disputing that. But you can’t just come over and take and expect everything for nothing.”
Reform councillors are new the face of the Far-right
Aimee Keteca – a Reform councillor in Essex – was in holding a placard “I’m not far right – I’m worried about my KIDS”.
However, the message is the same, target the asylum seekers as it serves their purpose.
In June man has been jailed after he was caught trying to engage in child sexual communications. Christopher Stuckey thought he was chatting online to a 13-year-old girl over a four-day period in June last year. But there was no protests by Reform UK (Brexit ) Councillors.
In this case however, Aimee says: “I’ve got a 16-year-old daughter, I worry about her in my local area. It’s right on your doorstep, we’ve got people here and we don’t know who they are.”
These protests are just the latest flashpoint of frustration – a physical place for people to vent anger that’s been felt for years and continues to build. The only discernible difference between the two cases, one was committed by a White man and the other an immigrant.
There are few here who believe the government’s new plan but most of them are there to at there because for Reform.