WARNING: SWEARING
Protest turns violent after alleged police brutality.
Opposite The Bell Hotel, the protesters stayed in the designated area. An officer then issued a dispersal order for 9:30pm. Protesters then attempted to march into the town centre as they have done several times before peacefully. The march was stopped by officers and a dispersal order was re-issued for 10:00pm.
Recent background info:
August 19, 2025:
– Epping Forest District Council obtained a temporary High Court injunction to stop the Bell Hotel from housing asylum seekers.
– As it breached planning laws, as it was no longer functioning as a conventional hotel.
– The injunction mandates that all asylum seekers must be removed from the hotel by 4:00 PM September 12, 2025.
– The Home Office, led by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, is appealing the High Court’s decision.
– On August 28, 2025, Home Office lawyers argued that the injunction could disrupt their legal duty to house asylum seekers under the (ECHR).
– They expressed concerns that the ruling might encourage other councils to seek similar injunctions, potentially leading to a chaotic approach to asylum accommodation.
– A judgment on this appeal was scheduled to be made on August 29, 2025, at 2:00 PM
– The Home office won the appeal to keep the bell hotel open for asylum seeker use until past september.
source
