THIS is the dramatic moment a protester was run over by a police riot van as chaos broke out outside a migrant hotel.
Violent scenes erupted as thugs hijacked a protest outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, last night after an asylum seeker appeared in court charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
NewsflareFootage shows the moment a police van drove into a protester after chaos erupted outside a migrant hotel[/caption]
NewsflareThe protester was pushed forwards by the police van[/caption]
NewsflareThe yob stood up and brushed himself off afterwards[/caption]
Yobs tried to block the streets with green plastic blockades as officers navigated through angry crows.
Men could be seen kicking and punching several riot vans on the road.
But footage shows one man being driven into after failing to move.
The demonstrator was pushed forwards and started running to keep himself from falling underneath the van.
Someone in the horrified crowd shouted: “Oh my god…what the f***.”
Several larger vehicles followed in procession, with mobs attacking them.
The man who was knocked down by the police van could later be seen getting back up and yelling.
This follows video clips showing the moment another thug launched himself onto a moving police van amid the protests.
Concerning footage shows the yob, wearing an England flag under a red hat, headbutting a police van window shortly before 8pm.
The tracksuit clad thug also tried to punch the glass as another joined in and started kicking the side panels.
One man could be overheard shouting “smash it, smash it” as officers sat trapped inside.
Essex Police pulled away from mob, who tried to jump on the back of the van and pulled open the doors.
As another van from the force arrived the yob donning an England flag launched himself on the bonnet.
He climbed up over the windshield before running and jumping across the roof.
In footage taken at the scene later on Thursday evening, the man was spotted jumping on another police vehicle as crowds cheered below.
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Another protester tried to grab onto the back of a police van before pulling open the doors[/caption]
MailHe jumped up and down on the roof[/caption]
The thug donned an England flag on his head
A broken wing mirror could also be seen on the floor next to the riot van before it was picked up and launched by one of the protesters.
The demonstration reportedly started peacefully, before the trio of agitators stopped riot vans from driving past the hotel to support their colleagues.
Chaos continued into the night outside the Bell Hotel, which has been operating as an asylum hotel for the past five years.
Children in balaclavas were seen alongside men and women as they blocked the road to the hotel.
Violent protesters also threw fireworks and bottles at police who were protecting anti-racism counter-protesters.
Police vans were spotted with smashed windscreens and ripped off wingmirrors after the aggression displayed last night.
Pictures show the hooded, masked-up yobs, walking across the bonnet of one riot van.
Elsewhere, Essex Police officers holding shields were forced to create a human cordon.
The force confirmed eight officers were injured in the clash and two people have been arrested – one on suspicion of affray following reports of an assault during a protest on Sunday, and the other for failing to comply with dispersal orders.
The man accused of affray, 65-year-old Dean Walters, has since been charged and the second suspect remains in custody.
The unrest began after asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was arrested and later 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 appeared at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, July 10, where he denied all charges.
He remains in custody but appeared at court again yesterday, with a trial set to take place within 56 days.
His arrest led to multiple protests in the region, culminating in yesterday’s violence.
Officers on patrol last night also arrested a man following an assault reported close the hotel.
Dean Walters, 65, of Corner Meadow in Harlow, has been charged with affray, confirmed the force.
He has since been released on bail.
Walters will appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on September 24, with strict conditions in until then.
LNPProtesters set off red smoke cannons[/caption]
UKNIPOn thug appeared to be detained at the scene[/caption]
AlamyCounter-protesters from Stand Up To Racism were also seen outside the hotel[/caption]
Sir Keir Starmer released a statement in response to the growing tensions.
“Well, I think it’s obviously important that communities know that we are working to reduce the number of asylum hotels,” said the PM’s spokesperson.
“That is a clear government policy. But it’s also important that
legitimate protest doesn’t cross over into something else, and we would always hope that communities would respect that.
“But we are, and I think the Prime Minister is on record as saying, about the need to cut migration, both lawfully and illegal migration, and that is something that you’re seeing in working on tirelessly over the last year, whether it be the agreement with the French last week or the agreement with the German government yesterday, that is a priority for this government.
“It is something that requires international solutions, and that is why you’re seeing this flurry of activity from this government to tackle these gangs from every possible angle.”
It comes after two security guards were seriously assaulted by a group of men at a bus stop in the town on Sunday.
One man was arrested on suspicion of affray following reports of an assault during the weekend protest, police said.
“We have closed a section of High Road, Epping, for the safety of the public and those protesting,” Essex Police said.
“We will not tolerate any criminality on our streets, whether linked to protesting or not,” the force added.
“One man has already been arrested at today’s protest on suspicion of affray following reports of an assault near The Bell Hotel in Epping on Sunday July 13.
“He will be taken into custody while our inquiries continue.”
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: “Disruption and offending is never an appropriate response, no matter the strength of feeling in this case, and on this issue.
“People protesting peacefully, lawfully and responsibly cause us – and the wider public – no concern.
“However, we can never, and will never, tolerate criminal behaviour of any sort and anyone identified as committing crime will be dealt with robustly.”
Shutterstock EditorialThe man who jumped on police vans was also seen pushing into the police cordon[/caption]
UKNIPYobs completely smashed in the windscreen on one police van[/caption]
UKNIPA cordon was formed by Essex Police officers[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
