EPPING (ENGLAND, UK), June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Police in southeast England vowed to identify and arrest those responsible for violence outside a hotel believed to house asylum seekers, after officers and vehicles were attacked during a protest.
Eight officers were injured and three police vehicles damaged during Thursday night’s unrest in Epping, Essex police said.
The protest was the latest in a string of demonstrations following the charging of an asylum seeker with multiple sex offences earlier this month.
Footage from the scene showed masked individuals clashing with police, pelting vans and jumping on vehicles. Right-wing figures, including far-right activist Tommy Robinson, circulated videos of the protest on social media.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper said a dedicated team was reviewing body-worn and CCTV footage to identify those involved.
“After last night I’ve got a team of specialist detectives today that are combing through the footage to identify those who are responsible,” Hooper said. “If you’re one of those individuals, you can expect a knock on the door.”
He said most of those behind the unrest were not from the local area.
“These were selfish individuals from outside of the area who travelled here intent on causing criminality,” he said.
The violence followed the charging of 38-year-old Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, an Ethiopian asylum seeker, with three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and one count of harassment without violence.
The charges relate to alleged incidents on July 7 and 8, in which Kebatu is accused of attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl at a pizza restaurant in Epping, northeast of London.
Kebatu, who crossed the Channel in a small boat at the end of June, has pleaded not guilty and appeared in court on Thursday for a preliminary hearing.
Thursday’s unrest echoes scenes from last year, when anti-immigration riots broke out following the fatal stabbings of three girls in Southport. Rioters at the time targeted hotels housing asylum seekers in multiple cities, including an attempted arson attack in Rotherham.
In response to the latest incident, local officials have called for the Bell Hotel in Epping to stop housing asylum seekers.
Police said they will continue to support peaceful protest but warned that “acts of violence and vandalism” will not be tolerated. — NNN-AGENCIES
