Police officer dressed as cartoon hero seizes marijuana and cocaine in drugs raid
Wearing the red costume of the beloved slapstick antihero popular across the Spanish -speaking world, the officer used a sledgehammer to break down a door during the Thursday (17 July) operation, while fellow agents moved in undetected.
Colonel Pedro Rojas of the Green Squadron said the disguise allowed the unit to approach unnoticed, using the character's familiarity to blend in — catching suspects off guard with the unusual police tactic.
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BreakingNews.ie
5 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Farage claim that police drove protesters to demo is not true
The Chief Constable of Essex Police has denied that officers drove counter-protesters to a demonstration outside a hotel housing asylum seekers after claims made by Nigel Farage. The Reform UK leader called for the resignation of Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington in a post on X. Advertisement There have been a series of demonstrations outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, since an asylum seeker was charged with sexual assault this month. Clacton MP Mr Farage said, alongside footage shared online on Wednesday: 'This video proves @EssexPoliceUK transported left-wing protesters to the Bell Hotel in Epping. Protesters holding up a flag of St George after a protest in Epping (Yui Mok/ PA) 'There is no way Chief Constable BJ Harrington can stay in position.' Mr Harrington told a press conference on Wednesday that the issue was 'not about my resignation, the issue is about an effective police operation'. Advertisement He said that accusations that officers drove people to the protest were 'not true'. 'We've not driven anybody to that protest,' he said. 'People made their own way there. 'We did take people away for their safety, for the safety of everyone there, because it was the best operational thing to do to prevent violence, to defuse the situation.' Advertisement The force said officers did 'provide a foot cordon around protesters on their way to the protest' and later escorted some away from the protest by vehicle 'for their safety'. Asked about the claims made online, Mr Harrington said: 'It's not for me to silence or try to say to people what they should or shouldn't say. 'My appeal to people, whether they're the leader of a national party or just somebody who's got a comment to make, is please consider the consequences in the real world of your actions.' The protests came after an asylum seeker, 38-year-old Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, was charged with sexual assault after allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Advertisement He denied the charges when he appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court last week and he is due to stand trial in August. Mr Harrington said, on Wednesday, that officers had made 10 arrests following the protests. The force said on Tuesday that four men have been charged with violent disorder and a fifth man charged with failing to remove a face covering when directed. Political activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, said on his X account on July 20th that he was 'coming to Epping next Sunday … and bringing thousands more with me'. Advertisement Asked about the prospect of protests at the weekend, Mr Harrington said: 'We will have a robust policing operation. 'Essex is safe. You will have hundreds of officers on duty.' He said that 'legitimate people who want to go and protest outside that hotel' have the right to do so 'if they're peaceful and lawful'. 'I come back to the point where people break the law, where they smash up police vans, where they assault workers from the hotel, where they are chasing people away,' he said. 'Those are the people that we will not tolerate and we will deal with.' Elsewhere, protesters gathered outside a hotel believed to be housing asylum seekers in Diss, Norfolk, earlier in the week. Norfolk Police said in a statement that officers 'maintained a presence' at a site in Denmark Street on Monday evening 'to ensure the safety of all involved at a planned protest'. The force said that no arrests were made and it continued to monitor the situation. The Metropolitan Police said officers attended a protest outside a hotel in Canary Wharf on Tuesday. The site is reportedly to be used to offer temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. The force said in a statement that no arrests were made and officers 'remain in the area to deal with any incidents'.
The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
Farage claim that police drove protesters to demo is not true
The Chief Constable of Essex Police has denied that officers drove counter-protesters to a demonstration outside a hotel housing asylum seekers after claims made by Nigel Farage. The Reform UK leader called for the resignation of Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington in a post on X. There have been a series of demonstrations outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, since an asylum seeker was charged with sexual assault this month. Clacton MP Mr Farage said, alongside footage shared online on Wednesday: 'This video proves @EssexPoliceUK transported left-wing protesters to the Bell Hotel in Epping. 'There is no way Chief Constable BJ Harrington can stay in position.' Mr Harrington told a press conference on Wednesday that the issue was 'not about my resignation, the issue is about an effective police operation'. He said that accusations that officers drove people to the protest were 'not true'. 'We've not driven anybody to that protest,' he said. ' People made their own way there. 'We did take people away for their safety, for the safety of everyone there, because it was the best operational thing to do to prevent violence, to defuse the situation.' The force said officers did 'provide a foot cordon around protesters on their way to the protest' and later escorted some away from the protest by vehicle 'for their safety'. Asked about the claims made online, Mr Harrington said: 'It's not for me to silence or try to say to people what they should or shouldn't say. 'My appeal to people, whether they're the leader of a national party or just somebody who's got a comment to make, is please consider the consequences in the real world of your actions.' The protests came after an asylum seeker, 38-year-old Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, was charged with sexual assault after allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. He denied the charges when he appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court last week and he is due to stand trial in August. Mr Harrington said, on Wednesday, that officers had made 10 arrests following the protests. The force said on Tuesday that four men have been charged with violent disorder and a fifth man charged with failing to remove a face covering when directed. Political activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, said on his X account on July 20 that he was 'coming to Epping next Sunday … and bringing thousands more with me'. Asked about the prospect of protests at the weekend, Mr Harrington said: 'We will have a robust policing operation. 'Essex is safe. You will have hundreds of officers on duty.' He said that 'legitimate people who want to go and protest outside that hotel' have the right to do so 'if they're peaceful and lawful'. 'I come back to the point where people break the law, where they smash up police vans, where they assault workers from the hotel, where they are chasing people away,' he said. 'Those are the people that we will not tolerate and we will deal with.' Elsewhere, protesters gathered outside a hotel believed to be housing asylum seekers in Diss, Norfolk, earlier in the week. Norfolk Police said in a statement that officers 'maintained a presence' at a site in Denmark Street on Monday evening 'to ensure the safety of all involved at a planned protest'. The force said that no arrests were made and it continued to monitor the situation. The Metropolitan Police said officers attended a protest outside a hotel in Canary Wharf on Tuesday. The site is reportedly to be used to offer temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. The force said in a statement that no arrests were made and officers 'remain in the area to deal with any incidents'.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Essex Police chief rejects calls to resign over handling of Epping asylum hotel protests after force admitted escorting pro-migrant activists to demo before violent clashes broke out
The chief constable of Essex Police has dismissed calls to resign over the force's handling of the Epping protests after footage emerged of officers escorting pro-migrant activists to an asylum seeker hotel where violent clashes erupted. Ben-Julian Harrington rejected calls from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to step down and firmly extinguished claims his officers had given a higher level of protection to pro-migrant protesters. Asked if he would resign, he told a press conference today: 'No, I am not [resigning]. I am not going to do that. This is not about me, this is about the communities of Essex.' He added: 'The issue is not about my resignation. The issue is about an effective police operation that keeps the communities of Epping safe...' The Bell Hotel, in Epping, Essex, has been the centre of a string of violent demonstrations after an asylum seeker was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl in the town eight days after arriving in the UK. Essex Police had initially denied it had brought Stand Up to Racism activists to the hotel before ugly clashes broke out with anti-migrant protesters on Thursday. But after being shown footage of officers leading the group from a nearby station to outside the hotel, the force then backtracked and admitted it had provided a 'foot cordon'. Nigel Farage called for Chief Constable Harrington to resign, saying the footage is 'absolutely disgraceful' and 'heads must roll'. The Reform UK leader later posted footage allegedly showing pro-migrant protesters being 'bussed' to the demonstration in police vans but Essex Police said this was 'categorically' untrue. The force explained that pro-migrant protesters were given a 'foot cordon' on their way to the protest and those who were 'clearly at risk of being hurt' later on were 'escorted by vehicle'. Facing a barrage of questions today, Chief Constable Harrington rejected claims his officers had given a higher level of protection to pro-migrant protesters. 'No, I don't accept that,' he said. 'The only protection that officers are doing is to those lawful and law-abiding people, whether they are in that accommodation, whether they are the people of Epping or whether they are people who are standing there with placards and banners wishing to make a very important and legitimate view, whichever your views about it. 'Where officers have intervened that is because there has been are not being partial in any way, shape or form.' The chief constable also dismissed claims pro-migrants were 'bussed' to the hotel', explaining: 'There has been some accusations in the media that we drove people to the protest. That is not true. 'We have not driven anybody to that protest. People made their own way there... we did take people away for their safety and the safety of everyone there.' He agreed that officers had walked alongside counter-protesters when they made their way to the Bell Hotel in scenes which prompted violence and attacks on both demonstrators and police. 'People have the freedom of assembly and freedom of speech,' he said. 'They have a duty to exercise their right to assembly and protest. 'People came of their own volition, walked to the protest. In order to ensure and understand the threat we had officers there and they walked alongside them so they could intervene and prevent crime.' He added: 'The issue of whether or not they [asylum seekers] should or shouldn't be there [in hotels] is not a matter for the police.' Asked about comments made by the likes of Mr Farage and others who have been accused of stoking demonstrations, he said it was 'not the police's job to clamp down on elected politicians.' However he warned they should be careful if their comments lead to violence. 'All I'm asking is people are responsible for what they say and consider the real-world consequences. Where people commit crimes online we will apply the law. Where people have their views where I or others disagree I appeal for people to be responsible and consider what they say.' Mr Harrington said that colleagues in forces across the country had been discussing with the Home Office issues around housing asylum seekers in hotels. He added: 'What is unacceptable is the people who have come to Epping and committed violence, attacked people at the hotel, attacked officers, damaged property and caused fear and disruption to the people of Epping.' Four people have now been charged with violent disorder, with one charged with failing to remove a face covering when directed to do so. Two people have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, one on suspicion of having an article with intent to cause damage and one on suspicion of using threatening words or behaviour. Protests have since spread to other parts of the country, with more than 150 gathering outside The Park Hotel, in Diss, Norfolk on Monday after the Home Office announced plans to change it from housing asylum-seeker families to single men. Meanwhile, last night Metropolitan Police officers were forced to surround a four-star hotel in Canary Wharf after protesters gathered outside in response to Government plans to house migrants there. The demonstration in London 's financial district place took place outside the Britannia International Hotel, which Tower Hamlets Council has confirmed the Government intends to use for asylum seekers. Tuesday's action marks the latest anti-migrant protest, with Sir Keir Starmer warned Britain could face a second 'summer of riots' if Labour fails to get a grip on migrant hotels. Trouble first broke out in Epping last Thursday after Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in the town by attempting to kiss her. He denies the charges. The protest started peacefully, but descended into frenzied violence when anti-migrant demonstrators clashed with counter protesters and police. A spokesman for Essex Police said: 'There are claims on social media that Essex Police officers 'bussed' protesters to the protest outside the Bell Hotel on Thursday 17 July. 'This is categorically wrong. Officers did provide a foot cordon around protesters on their way to the protest, where they and others were allowed to exercise their right to protest. 'Later some people who were clearly at risk of being hurt were also escorted by vehicle away from the area for their safety. To reiterate, we categorically did not drive any counter-protesters to the site on any occasion.'
