Key Facts
• July 18, anti-immigration protest escalated outside Bell Hotel in Epping, England.
• Protest triggered by sexual assault charges against Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadash Gebreselassie Kebatu.
• Kebatu accused of three sexual assault charges and one count of inciting a minor.
• Incident involved a 14-year-old girl at a restaurant on July 7 and 8.
• Kebatu denies charges; entered the UK illegally via small boat in late June.
• Protesters attacked police officers and vehicles; eight officers injured, three vehicles damaged.
• Essex Police stated most violent participants were outsiders, not local residents.
• Police deployed special investigation team to identify suspects using body and security camera footage.
• Far-right activists, including Tommy Robinson, shared videos of the unrest online.
• Local authorities urged Bell Hotel to stop housing asylum seekers after the incident.
Summary
An anti-immigration protest in Epping, England, turned violent on July 18 after Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadash Gebreselassie Kebatu was charged with multiple sexual offenses, including assaulting a 14-year-old girl. The protest escalated into attacks on police, injuring eight officers and damaging three vehicles. Essex Police attributed the violence to non-local participants and launched an investigation to identify suspects. Far-right activists amplified the unrest on social media. Local authorities have since called for the Bell Hotel, which houses asylum seekers, to cease operations. Kebatu, who entered the UK illegally in June, denies the charges.
