Protesters stage demo outside hotel used to house migrants
Sunday saw the latest in a series of demonstrations outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl.
Protesters waved union flags, while Stand Up To Racism counter-protesters marched to the hotel with signs reading: 'Stop scapegoating refugees and migrants'.
Weyman Bennett, co-convener of Stand Up To Racism, told the PA news agency that volunteer security personnel accompanied them.
He added: 'We're happy to demonstrate but we're not happy to be attacked by thugs, racists and hooligans.'
One man was seen being taken away from the station area by two officers, though it was not clear if he was part of any group.
Members of Stand Up To Racism were seen trying to stop people from filming the protesters, as locals watched the march from their driveways.
One local man was seen chanting in support of Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, as the march went past.
He began shouting 'there's only one Tommy Robinson' when a protester approached him.
One Stand Up To Racism protester chanted 'fascist scum' at him before police stepped in to ensure they would not come together.
Essex Police said it had established protest restrictions due to repeated serious disruption, violence, and harm to the community during previous demonstrations.
The force said that there was a ban on anyone wearing face coverings and that there were designated sites opposite the hotel for protesters.
A dispersal order was in effect from 12pm on Sunday until 8am on Monday, covering Epping town centre and nearby transport hubs.
Both sets of protesters were kept separated by fences.
Those protesting outside The Bell Hotel in Epping chose to ignore counter-demonstrators and began singing.
They sang Sweet Caroline and Come On Eileen while demonstrators from Stand Up To Racism chanted 'Nazi scum off our streets'.
Essex Police said that residents have reported feeling 'trapped', fearful of leaving their homes and anxious about protest activity previously.
Hotel residents and staff have been advised to remain indoors after 5pm as some have experienced verbal and physical harassment, including a resident chased and injured while returning to the hotel, the force added.
Essex Police said there was an 'escalation of violence' during protests on July 13, 17, 20 and 24, involving hundreds of people.
The force added that officers were assaulted, missiles were thrown, vehicles were vandalised and the hotel sustained broken windows and graffiti.
The Epping protest was sparked by the charging of asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, with sexual assault after he allegedly attempted to kiss a 14-year-old girl.
He denied the charge at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court and will stand trial in August.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What to expect in the Budget 2025
Anaemic growth and higher-than-expected government borrowing will be weighing on Rachel Reeves as MPs head off on their six-week summer recess. The Chancellor will not be able to avoid questions about how she's going to address the economic hole the country faces. Shadow chancellor, Mel Stride, accused Ms Reeves of 'burying' an extra £10bn of spending in her Spending Review. It came as government borrowing in June hit £20.7bn – several billion pounds higher than in May – to bridge the gap between tax receipts and spending. Inevitably, speculation is already ramping up about what the next Budget will bring. Ms Reeves has refused to be drawn on whether she might be forced to break Labour's manifesto pledge not to raise taxes on 'working people'. But as the Chancellor demonstrated last year, she's not adverse to other tax raids. The date of the next Budget is not yet confirmed, but the announcement of the Government's fiscal policy usually takes place in late October or early November. Here, Telegraph Money looks at some of what might be included, as Ms Reeves scrambles to balance the books. National Insurance on landlordsChances: 3/10 Labour has shown that it doesn't mind taking on landlords with the Renters' Rights Bill, and politicians of all stripes have seemingly had it in for property investors for years now. Landlords could be in the firing line as the Treasury looks to tax their 'passive' income as if it had been earned from a job. There are several ways in which the Treasury could target landlords. Profit from lettings could be made subject to National Insurance, for instance, or a separate tax rate could be created for rental income, which aligns with income tax bands. Taxing landlord income in the same way as employment has been called for by left-leaning think tanks before. Adam Corlett, of the Resolution Foundation, said: 'With tax rises clearly coming this autumn, the Chancellor should use this as an opportunity to make the tax system fairer and more efficient. 'One way to achieve this is to ensure different forms of income are taxed at the same rate, for example by levying National Insurance on income for rental properties. After all, there's no good reason why landlords should face lower tax rates than their tenants.' But campaign group, Generation Rent, warned that as more landlords move the ownership of their rental properties to limited companies structures, the tax raid could become less effective. More than 680,000 rental homes were owned by companies in March, research conducted by estate agency Hamptons found. Dan Wilson Craw, from the campaign group, said: 'The Treasury should bear in mind that increasing numbers of rental homes are owned by limited companies and in many cases would continue to pay a lower tax rate than an employee.' Another attack on pensions?Chances: 3/10 Labour has kicked a lot of decisions on pensions into the long grass. The debacle on winter fuel payments will also make the Government wary of being seen to target older people again. On Monday, Labour announced that a so-called 'Pension Commission' would be launched to investigate chronic under-saving for retirement. It came days after the Office for Budget Responsibility warned that the cost of the 'triple lock' on state pension payments would be three times what was originally predicted. So it seems unlikely that the Government will make any sweeping changes to pensions, as ministers have said that changes to how much employees save automatically won't happen before the next election. Maintaining the triple lock was also a manifesto pledge Labour breaks at its own peril. But that doesn't mean other reforms are impossible. Ahead of last year's Budget, rampant speculation about the future of the 25pc tax-free lump sum was rife, leading some savers to take out their cash in panic. It is believed Treasury civil servants have long wanted to reduce tax relief offered to higher- and additional-rate taxpayers on their pensions. Pension experts too have argued a 'flat rate' would be fairer, and could save vast sums of money. Sir Steve Webb, former pensions minister and partner at LCP, said: 'Major changes would be likely to affect millions of public sector workers, many of whom form the Government's core support base. 'But more technical areas such as the use of salary sacrifice for pension contributions could well come under the spotlight in the Chancellor's hunt for cash.' Cuts to cash IsasChances: 5/10 Change has been trailed for some time – expect the Budget to at least warn savers that reform is coming. Savers were braced for the Chancellor to cut the annual cash Isa allowance at a speech in the City earlier this month. But following a significant backlash from building societies and savers, Ms Reeves delayed any announcement. Rumours have been swirling since change was first mooted in January that the £20,000 limit for cash savings could be cut to as little as £4,000. Ms Reeves is keen to push the more than £300bn held in cash Isas into the stock market, preferably into London-listed businesses. But stopping the flood of money into cash Isas could make mortgages more expensive, building societies warned, because they use deposits to fulfil capital requirements and secure lending. Cynics would say the Government's real intention is to force people to hold their money in traditional savings accounts which are, of course, taxable. Tom Selby, of stockbroker AJ Bell, said: 'The Government has been clear it wants to encourage a retail investment culture in the UK and get more people investing for the long-term rather than stashing their hard-earned savings in cash, but there has been little detail beyond this. 'The Budget could provide the Chancellor with a platform to put some meat on the bones of this agenda.' Income tax thresholds freezeChances: 6/10 It's a big fundraiser – and a stealth tax. Seven million taxpayers have been dragged into paying higher rates of income tax as a result of frozen income tax thresholds. This policy of using 'fiscal drag' to boost tax receipts was introduced under the Conservatives. The thresholds, including the £12,570 tax-free personal allowance, were first frozen by the Tories in 2021. As things stand, the freeze is set to last until 2028 – and Ms Reeves committed to it ending then at last year's Budget. As wages increase to keep up with inflation, more workers are pulled into higher rates, meaning a bigger tax take. The freeze forced an extra 520,000 taxpayers into the 40p bracket in the last year, according to estimates by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). The OBR thinks that the freeze will raise an extra £48bn in 2029-2030, as the number of taxpayers passes 40 million. Sir Keir Starmer has refused to rule out a further freeze beyond the 2028 expiry date. It would be a relatively simple and, crucially, little-understood way to raise serious amounts of cash. But the Government could choose not to extend the freeze at this Budget, and instead do it at the next – well before it is due to run out. Fuel dutyChances: 4/10 Labour has a strong net zero agenda under Ed Miliband, but the Government may be too weak to load more costs on to drivers, many of whom are the very definition of working people. At last year's Budget, Ms Reeves extended a long-standing freeze on fuel duty. There is also a 5p per litre cut, which was introduced in March 2022, and will end, as things stand, next March. The estimated cost of the freeze for the current tax year is more than £3bn. Edmund King, of motoring company AA, told The Sun that any increase in cost at the pumps 'could be catastrophic' for the economy. The OBR said last October that unwinding the freeze in 2026 would increase inflation, as the price of fuel would increase. Wealth taxChances: 2/10 While Labour backbenchers are keen on introducing a wealth tax, the Cabinet appears to have come to its senses. Wealth taxes are difficult to administer and have backfired in most of the places they've been tried. Earlier this week, 26 MPs signed a Parliamentary motion calling for an annual wealth tax of 2pc on individual assets of more than £10m. They claimed that this could raise £24bn a year. Supporters included arch-Corbynites, alongside other Labour, Independent and several Plaid Cymru MPs. Some of Labour's biggest names, including Lord Kinnock, have advocated for a wealth tax. Ahead of this year's Spring Statement, Patriotic Millionaires, a campaign group which asks for higher taxes for the super-rich, said that 80pc of UK-based millionaires would support a wealth tax. But The Times reported earlier this week that Mrs Reeves was resisting calls for the implementation of such a levy, with Cabinet ministers calling it a 'non-starter'. Eight countries have previously implemented wealth taxes, including Austria, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Sweden and France, only to scrap them. Just four countries, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and Colombia still have a wealth tax. The exodus of non-doms since Labour took power will be in the forefront of Reeves' mind. A Treasury spokesman said: 'The best way to strengthen public finances is by growing the economy – which is our focus. Changes to tax and spend policy are not the only ways of doing this, as seen with our planning reforms, which are expected to grow the economy by £6.8bn and cut borrowing by £3.4bn. 'We are committed to keeping taxes for working people as low as possible, which is why at last Autumn's Budget, we protected working people's payslips and kept our promise not to raise the basic, higher or additional rates of income tax, employee National Insurance, or VAT.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fire at York skatepark started deliberately
FIREFIGHTERS have been called to a fire at a skatepark in York. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service say they were called at 5.53pm on Sunday (July 27) after reports of a fire in Foss Bank, York closed to the old Sainsbury's supermarket. A service spokesman said: 'Crews from York and Acomb responded to a report of smoke seen coming from a car park. 'Crews located a fire in a skate park that had been lit deliberately.'
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Police arrest three as hundreds of protesters face off outside Epping hotel housing asylum seekers
Hundreds of people descended on a hotel housing migrants on Sunday, as protests against taxpayer-funded accommodation for asylum seekers continue to spread across the country. As many as 500 demonstrators — including families with children — stood outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, with many waving banners with slogans including 'British people before boat people'. But the group was vastly outnumbered by a counter-protest of around 700 people, which was organised by Stand Up To Racism, who loudly chanted 'refugees are welcome here' while holding signs that read 'stop scapegoating refugees'. Both protests remained largely peaceful throughout the afternoon, although there were fiery exchanges between rival supporters. {olice later confirmed that three arrests were made. There was a further protest outside a hotel in Canary Wharf, east London, with the number of participants appearing to be in the low hundreds. It marked the fifth time that protests have occurred outside The Bell Hotel after an Ethiopian resident was charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 41, who arrived in Britain via small boat on June 29, denies any wrongdoing and remains in custody. Counter-demonstrators — who also included senior representatives from the National Education Union — marched towards the hotel from Epping Underground Station. Both groups were separated on Bell Common by mental fencing and a row of officers, some of whom wore riot gear. As well as Essex Police, officers from the Metropolitan Police, Durham, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, West Midlands, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Cheshire, Dyfed-Powys and Hampshire forces were at the scene. One man was filmed being pinned to the ground by officers and placed inside a police van on Theydon Road. Activists from far-Right groups, including the Homeland Party, a splinter group to the neo-Nazi Patriotic Alternative, were present. Jaymey McIvor, a Reform UK councillor for Ongar, was also among those in attendance, but declined to comment when approached by The Standard. Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, previously said he would attend before changing his mind and saying it would not be helpful to the cause. Lewis Nielson, of Stand Up To Racism, told The Standard: 'Our demonstration is an opposition to the far-Right and of unity against scapegoating. 'Any issues of sexual assault and harassment should be taken incredibly seriously. But the reality is these serious issues are being seized on in a hypocritical and cynical way by the far-Right.' Sabby Dhalu, 46, a convenor with Stand Up To Racism, said recent events in Epping show a 'fascist organisation stirring up violence' in the community. She said: 'They're seizing on that in order to stir up racism and violence, and that's very similar to what we saw with the horrific murders and attacks in Southport last year, which ignited a load of rioting by the far-Right who were winding up others to get involved in racist rioting.' Ed Harlow, vice-president of the NEU, said: 'We are the people who look after your children. We are the people who protect your children. We are the people who teach them day in day out. The people up there have no interest in protecting kids.' He added: 'The people crossing the Channel are not the issue and we need to make that very very clear. When our kids are in school they play together, they learn together. They do not see the differences that those people see. They are united. The division comes later in life and it is driven by a broken, wretched ideology.' A father-of-five said his business has been affected because of the ongoing protests. He said: 'There's been five protests in this area over the last three to four weeks. Never attended. Not left-wing, not right-wing, not anything. I've lived in the area for 35 years, I have five children, four girls, one boy. 'I think this is way way over the top. It needs to be correct. I feel sorry for the police. I feel sorry for the actual general public that come out because it is dismayed by the people who come later in the evenings and literally just want to have trouble. 'I don't think that the people who live in Epping, like myself, deserve the feedback that they're getting. I believe if there was a conversation between the people that have come down today and the people that are here today… then there would be a resolve. 'I honestly believe the general people that live in the area are genuinely worried about their children. I also believe there may be a small minority of people that have caused the issue in the first place.' The pro-immigration protesters departed the area at around 4.30pm, walking in the direction of Ivy Chimneys Road and Theydon Bois. Essex Police imposed a dispersal order from 12pm on Sunday to 8am on Monday, covering the town centre and transport network. A man, 52, from Loughton was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence. It is understood the arrest was in connection with abuse being shouted towards counter-protesters. Elsewhere, a woman, 53, also from Loughton, was arrested on suspicion of a racially-aggravated public order offence connected with a previous protest, and it is understood she was part of the protest against the use of the hotel. Meanwhile, a woman, 27, from Deptford, southeast London was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and a public order offence, and it is understood she was part of the counter-protest. 'I want to thank those who attended for the peaceful nature of both protests,' said Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow. 'I am pleased that today has passed off without incident and I am grateful to our colleagues from other forces for their support.' Police have now made 21 arrests and charged ten people with disorder since the protests began earlier this month. At the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf, a protester said public anger is being misunderstood. Kathleen O'Shaughnessy said: 'I came over on a boat from Ireland, and we went to work when we got here. We didn't live off the country. 'I can understand why people are really upset. It's not about being racist. I'm not saying people shouldn't be helped, but the way they're going about it is not right.' Andrew, who lives in the capital, added: "(Canary Wharf) is a very diverse place. We all felt safe here up until recently, this week, when we found out there's going to be undocumented migrants staying in this hotel here. "If they're going to walking around late at night, the sort of individuals who you might get who are high risk in a hotel like this could potentially target them. 'It's very easy to paint us as a bunch of angry, white British lads who are annoyed with immigration. But honestly, the vast majority of people I know here in London — they're not even from the UK." Gareth said it was "a sense of duty to my country' which brought him to the rally as he carried a shield bearing St George's Cross. He said: "When I think of what our ancestors went through to protect this country, like most of the other patriots, I'm not pleased the way it's going and it's time to take a stand.' Additional reporting by Georgia Bell,and Megan Howe
