Epping Protest Outside Asylum Hotel Ends with Three Arrests, Two Police Injured
Three individuals were arrested during a tense demonstration outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, on Friday evening, as two police officers sustained minor injuries.
The arrests followed clashes outside the hotel, which is currently being used to accommodate asylum seekers after the Court of Appeal upheld the Home Office’s decision.
One man faces charges of violent disorder, another is suspected of assaulting a police officer, while a third was arrested for drink driving after reportedly driving on the wrong side of the road towards a police cordon. Essex Police confirmed that the officers injured were not seriously harmed.
The legal dispute over The Bell Hotel arose after Epping Forest District Council challenged the Government’s plan to house 138 asylum seekers at the location. The council initially won a ruling requiring the residents’ removal by 12 September, but the Home Office successfully appealed.
The hotel has been a flashpoint for protests and counter-protests in recent weeks, particularly following allegations that a migrant staying at the hotel sexually assaulted a teenage girl, which he denies.
Assistant Chief Constable Glen Pavelin commented on the events: “Protest is a democratic right, and we’ll always do all we can to facilitate that, for every group seeking to make their voice heard.
BREAKING EPPING NEWS: Currently 3 me were arrested last night due to “violent disorder”
This is a very vague term the police use which gives them the power to arrest anyone who they feel is “aggressive”
They even stopped the protest last night under section 14 public… pic.twitter.com/OVjS1d8UnU
— EUROPA WATCH (@EuropaWatch_) August 30, 2025
The overwhelming majority of people in Epping tonight clearly wanted their voices to be heard and they did that safely and without the need for a police response.
“However, the right to protest does not include a right to commit crime and tonight a small number of people were arrested. Two officers sustained injuries which are thankfully not serious.
Officers will remain in the area in the coming hours to ensure the dispersal order which remains in place is adhered to.”
Police imposed strict measures to control the demonstrations. Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 was invoked, requiring protesters to leave the vicinity by 9.30pm, while a separate group had to vacate by 10pm.
Both orders were reportedly followed. Additionally, a dispersal order remained in effect until 6am to manage groups arriving from other areas, including attendees from a Cheshunt protest.
Officers have the authority to remove anyone suspected of anti-social behaviour, with noncompliance leading to potential arrest. All three men arrested remain in police custody.
The ongoing situation highlights the sensitive balance between public protest and law enforcement in Epping. Authorities continue to monitor the area closely as tensions around asylum accommodation persist.
