As smoke flares filled the air amid violent protests and heavy-handed clashes with police, the historic market town of Epping found itself at the centre of intense media attention – for all the wrong reasons.
Just two days after the latest demonstration, which saw hundreds gather outside the Bell Hotel in Essex, which is believed to house asylum seekers, the mood has substantially quietened. But locals remain divided over the events that sparked the unrest that has plagued the former royal hunting ground for the past 10 days.
While many who have protested against the use of migrant hotels have remained peaceful, holding signs reading “I’m worried about my kids”, others had different intentions, with smoke flares thrown towards police vans and eight officers in riot gear being forced to retreat, injured.
Describing it as a “crisis that has reached boiling point”, the local Conservative MP Dr Neil Hudson has called for the dilapidated Bell Hotel to close.
He said: “This is a crisis that is boiling over and for the safety of our community, the government must get a grip on this situation now, and they must listen and act quickly to close the hotel. I continue to call on the government to immediately close the Bell Hotel, and I have raised this urgently in the House of Commons Chamber.”
The violence was sparked when Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, a 38-year-old Ethiopian asylum seeker reportedly living there, was charged with three counts of sexual assault after allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl.
He denied the charges at Chelmsford magistrates’ court last Thursday and has been remanded in custody. But his court appearance failed to dampen local outrage. Around 1,000 people gathered outside the 79-room hotel on Sunday, with six people arrested and bottles thrown towards police.
On Tuesday, the key indicator of recent unrest is the large metal barrier now surrounding the hotel, with warning signs against taking pictures or videos. Police officers are still stationed at the site, and a passerby stops to scan the windows for any sign of life inside.
Among them is Craig, a 24-year-old local who helped organise the protests last week. Speaking from his car, he insists that the demonstrations were organised to protect local children, and this is not a race issue.
“I think it’s unfair to label us as racist or far-right,” he said. “I’ve never been to a protest in my life until the last three weeks. It’s not so much about race, it’s about the people who came. On Sunday, there were all sorts of races here protesting.”
A father himself, he added that the protests were for the children’s “future”, and called for migrants to enter the UK through a legal route.
Describing the protests as “mostly peaceful”, he said: “I organised the protests through word of mouth mostly. Obviously, once we’d done the first one, that was it – word of mouth spread and it was every Thursday and every Sunday.”
It has now been rumoured that those residing at the hotel will now be moved to another part of London, with reports that another demonstration is planned for this weekend, with far-right leader Tommy Robinson potentially in attendance.
But not all those who have stopped outside the hotel are anti-immigration. One man on a motorbike stops to call to a young man entering the hotel, to offer him the town’s apologies.
Another retired man, who wished to remain anonymous, had travelled from south London to visit the hotel after reading reports of the protests in the news.
“My father was Polish, so he came over in the war, so I do have a connection with people coming over to this country for reasons that are good, bad, and indifferent,” he said. “But I do think we have closed the stable door after the horse has bolted.”
He added that he had not been surprised to see the rioting, and added: “It’s not the kind of thing you expect in Epping, because it’s a bit middle class and conservative. But whether it’s the right place to put people who are waiting to be processed, I don’t know.”
Walking into the town centre, the incident remains a divisive topic. Speaking outside a bus stop, one couple simply responds: “It’s been a fuss over nothing, media making it out to be a bigger deal than it is.”
Outside a newsagent’s, a man describes the refugee hotel as a “nightmare” and scoffs at the mention of the recent demonstrations.
Others said they felt afraid of the possibility of further violence. One elderly couple, who did not wish to be named, said they had decided to rearrange a visit from their grandchildren in order to keep them away from any potential riots.
“It’s meant to be to save our children, and yet my grandchildren can’t come to the house,” she said. “I think it’s very disturbing. I’ve lived in Epping a long time, and I’ve never had hate near me like this.
“I knew as soon as I heard about it that it was going to have a snowball effect. I have never had any trouble from the refugees here.”
She described Epping as a town “still divided by Brexit” but added that while residents were far from united on the issue, she believed many involved in the violence had travelled in from elsewhere.
“Epping is a lovely town,” she said. “But I think this has damaged its reputation. Today is the first day it feels peaceful since the riots started.”
One particular concern for residents has been protesters travelling in from afar, deliberately to participate in violence. Speaking to The Independent, Craig said: “A lot of people come from out of area, as long as you’re coming for the right reasons, then anyone is welcome.”
Meanwhile, the charity Hope Not Hate has said it has identified several individuals connected to the far-right in attendance. Its CEO Nick Lowles said: “The allegations of sexual assault are deeply worrying, and the people of Epping are right to be concerned about this case. A man has been arrested and it’s vital that the legal process is allowed to run its course.
“The events in Epping are a symptom of a recurring trend within the far right: co-opting the high emotions of local people to whip up hatred. The far right demonise and vilify all migrants, including the other innocent residents at the hotel, creating a climate of hatred and hatred locally. Sadly, violence is the result.
“The far-right is seeking to sow division in the local area, which does nothing to assist the victims of sexual abuse.”
Local Conservative MP, Neil Hudson, said the scenes on Thursday and Sunday night were “deeply troubling and unsettling”, and he condemned the violence as “completely unacceptable”.
“Police put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe. People quite rightly have the right to peaceful protest, but these violent scenes are not us, they are not Epping, and they are not what we stand for. It is deeply disturbing that people from outside Epping are coming to these protests not to support the real concerns of our local community, but to disrupt and cause violence.”
He continued: “As I said previously, I am deeply disturbed by the alleged sexual assaults in Epping the week before last, and my thoughts are with the victims, their families, and their peers.”
