Dramatic footage has emerged showing the moment a police van drove into an anti-migrant protester during violent clashes outside an asylum hotel in Essex following the arrest of a resident accused of sexually assaulting teenage schoolgirls.
The incident occurred as hundreds of furious residents gathered outside the Bell Hotel in Epping on Thursday night, where tensions erupted after protesters blocked police riot vans from leaving the scene.
Video footage, which has been viewed more than 2.4 million times online, shows an Essex Police van knocking over a young man who stood in Epping High Road in an apparent attempt to stop the vehicle from leaving.
Van Crashes Through Makeshift Barrier
The confrontation began when a group of hardcore agitators, including children wearing balaclavas, blocked three Essex Police riot vans from driving past the hotel to support colleagues in the town centre.
Protesters had erected a makeshift barrier made of pallets and plastic fencing to prevent police from leaving the scene.
The first of four Essex Police vans crashed through the barrier, prompting one protester to stand directly in the road. The second van then struck the man as onlookers screamed “Oh my god” and “What the f***.
The youth who was struck by the police van was seen getting up and brushing himself down whilst shouting at the convoy. Another man standing by the roadside also fell during the chaotic incident.
Police Vehicles Under Attack
Essex Police officers, dressed in full riot gear, remained inside their vehicles as thugs attacked the vans, kicking them and launching missiles.
Photos from later in the evening showed one van with a smashed windscreen, whilst masked men were seen jumping on the roofs of police vehicles.
Earlier footage showed men repeatedly punching and kicking the vans as someone yelled “smash it, smash it” whilst officers sat trapped inside. Several thugs clambered onto vehicle roofs, jumping up and down before one van was forced to flee with its back doors wide open.
Officer Injured in Violence
Essex Police reported that one officer sustained a minor neck injury during the protest, which saw fireworks and bottles thrown at police as they sought to protect anti-racism counter-demonstrators.
The force said they had already identified several suspects believed responsible for damaging police vehicles, the hotel, and assaulting officers.
Up to 100 officers battled with anti-migrant protesters who had confronted an anti-racism demonstration. Counter-protesters carrying “Refugees Welcome” placards were pelted with bottles, eggs and cans and told to “f*** off out of Epping” by an angry mob.
Arrest Sparks Community Tensions
The unrest was triggered after Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with multiple sexual offences.
Kebatu was arrested on 8 July after reports of a man acting inappropriately towards several people. He appeared at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on 10 July, where he denied all offences.
The defendant was charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and one count of harassment without violence. He was remanded in custody ahead of his next hearing.
Long-Standing Hotel Controversy
The Bell Hotel has operated as asylum accommodation on and off for the past five years, housing around 100 male residents from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Chris Whitbread, leader of Epping Forest District Council, has repeatedly called for the hotel’s closure, stating: “From the outset, we warned the Home Office that this site is entirely inappropriate.
Placing vulnerable individuals from a wide range of cultural backgrounds into an unsupervised setting, in the centre of a small town, without the proper infrastructure, support or services, is both reckless and unacceptable,” he said.
Arrests and Investigation
Officers arrested Dean Walters, 65, of Harlow, on suspicion of affray following an assault reported near the Bell Hotel on Sunday evening. He has been charged and bailed to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on 24 September.
Two security staff members were also seriously assaulted by a group of men at a bus stop on High Road on Sunday, with both victims receiving hospital treatment for serious injuries.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow condemned the violence, stating: “This was crime. The people responsible do not represent Epping or Essex.”
Community Response
Local residents expressed mixed views, with one 74-year-old retired company director saying: “We are all absolutely sick of it. They should all be sent back to where they’ve come from.”
A mother-of-three added: “This is not about being racist, it’s about protecting our children. There are a load of schools near here and there are all these single men here in the hotel and no one knows who they are.
A Home Office spokesman said: “The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy, but this cannot cross the line into unlawful or violent behaviour. We continue to work closely with Essex Police.”
Essex Police confirmed they are aware of the video circulating on social media and continue to investigate the incidents.
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