Epping asylum hotel protests sees one man appear in court
District Judge Christopher Williams was told of a WhatsApp group with 600 members who were planning to attend the hotel.Hundreds of people gathered on Thursday, with a smaller group of people holding a pro-refugee demonstration at the same time.Elizabeth Connor, representing the Crown Prosecution Service, told the court the gathering of those opposing the housing of asylum seekers was initially peaceful, but "quickly escalated" into violent disorder, with fireworks, eggs and bottles being thrown.More than 100 police officers attended, Ms Connor said, and officers became "overwhelmed" by the protest.Ms Conner said Mr Smith - who works full-time for Waitrose - had attended the protest on Thursday and returned on the Sunday, when he was arrested after being identified on several pieces of footage.Defending Mr Smith, Richard Moughton said his client had attended for a "peaceful protest", and on the Thursday he had returned home before a police dispersal order was put in place.He is due to appear for a plea hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court on 18 August.
Another protest staged on Sunday was attended by more than 1,000 people, with projectiles thrown towards police vans blocking the hotel entrance.Mr Smith is the second person to appear before magistrates in connection with protests at the hotel.Keith Silk, 33, of Torrington Drive in Loughton, Essex, appeared before Southend Magistrates' Court on Monday to deny violent disorder, but entered no plea to another charge of criminally damaging a sign at the hotel by shaking it.He was released on conditional bail, forbidding him from entering Epping and attending any protest in the UK, and will also appear before Chelmsford Crown Court on 18 August.The demonstrations followed a man living in the hotel being charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.Hadush Kebatu, 41, from Ethiopia, has denied the offences and was remanded in custody during a hearing on Thursday.Two Conservative MPs in Essex - Neil Hudson and Alex Burghart - called for the hotel to be closed, while the Tory leader of Epping Forest District Council, Chris Whitbread, described it as a "powder keg" situation.
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