A protester involved in ongoing demonstrations against migrant hotels in Epping, Essex, was arrested after she climbed onto a council building and unfurled a Union flag. The incident occurred on Sunday evening amid escalating tensions following a court ruling allowing the continued use of local hotels to house asylum seekers.
The woman, an organiser of the protests but not publicly named was removed from the first-floor ledge of the Epping Forest District Council offices by Essex Police. Video footage posted online shows her holding the flag before being escorted away by officers, as bystanders shouted “She’s a woman!” and “What are they doing?”
Despite social media claims that she was detained for displaying the national flag, Essex Police have categorically denied this. The woman was arrested under suspicion of breaching a Section 14 order, which had been issued to restrict protests at the council offices.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper addressed the incident, “We know the strength of feeling in Epping regarding a very important issue. And to reiterate what we’ve repeatedly said, we always remain impartial , this is the role of policing.
“She was arrested on suspicion of breaching a Section 14 order as we sought to de-escalate a highly emotional situation. To be very clear, despite suggestions we’ve seen on social media, she was not arrested for flying a Union Flag on the Civic Centre.”
The protest was one of several held over the weekend after the Court of Appeal ruled that the Home Office could continue to use the Bell Hotel in Epping to house 138 male asylum seekers. Around 200 demonstrators gathered following the ruling, with three arrests made, which are;
“The woman involved in the flag incident, for breaching a Section 14 order, A man arrested for suspected incitement of racial hatred, after reports that an emblem was set on fire Friday night, Another man arrested for failing to leave the area after the protest ended, also breaching the Section 14 order.” All these three individuals remained in custody as of Sunday night.
The protests were reignited after the Court of Appeal overturned an earlier injunction that had temporarily blocked the Bell Hotel from being used as migrant accommodation.
The injunction had been secured by Epping Forest District Council, which argued that the hotel’s owner, Somani Hotels, breached local planning laws. However, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the Home Office, allowing the site to continue operating as temporary asylum housing.
The ruling has sparked controversy, with critics highlighting that Lord Justice Bean, who chaired the judicial panel, was a founding member of Matrix Chambers, an organisation known for supporting progressive legal causes, including migrant rights. A formal complaint has been submitted to the conduct authority, alleging apparent bias and a conflict of interest.
The Bell Hotel became the focus of national attention after an asylum seeker housed there was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl last month. The case intensified local opposition, with residents vowing to continue protests and some even threatening to withhold council tax payment
In response to the court ruling, Conservative figures have urged local authorities not to abandon legal efforts against the use of hotels to house asylum seekers. Meanwhile, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s legal team argued in court that preventing migrants from becoming destitute was a duty under the European Convention on Human Rights one that outweighed local planning concerns.
Furthermore, the case is scheduled to return to the High Court in mid-October for a full judicial review, where the legal arguments around the planning rules, hotel usage, and the Home Office’s obligations will be examined in greater detail.
