Essex Police has strongly denied claims by Nigel Farage it “bussed” counter-demonstrators to a protest exterior a migrant resort in Epping.
The Reform UK chief had known as for the drive’s chief constable to resign over the accusations.
In a video posted on X on Wednesday morning, the Clacton MP stated: “This video proves @EssexPoliceUK transported left-wing protesters to The Bell Resort in Epping. There isn’t a means Chief Constable BJ Harrington can keep in place.”
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He confirmed footage of individuals in a police van and stated the drive had “bussed” them to protests exterior a resort in Epping, Essex, used to accommodate asylum seekers final week.
Greater than 1,000 individuals gathered exterior The Bell Resort in protests over two nights final week after an asylum seeker was arrested and charged on suspicion of alleged sexual assaults within the city.
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Essex Police launched an announcement hours after Mr Farage’s video, refuting his claims.
“There are claims on social media that Essex Law enforcement officials ‘bussed’ protesters to the protest exterior the Bell Resort on Thursday 17 July,” the drive stated.
“That is categorically unsuitable.
“Officers did present a foot cordon round protesters on their strategy to the protest, the place they and others had been allowed to train their proper to protest.
“Later some individuals who had been clearly susceptible to being damage had been additionally escorted by automobile away from the world for his or her security.
“To reiterate, we categorically didn’t drive any counter protesters to the location on any event.”
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Armed police had been deployed to the resort. Pic: UKNIP
Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington then gave a information convention wherein he stated 10 arrests had been made after the protests.
“Various these individuals have been charged, quite a few these individuals have been remanded in custody for severe offences,” he stated.
He added individuals on social media must “remark responsibly” as a result of they’ll have “actual world penalties to the communities of Essex”.
A protester was pictured smashing the windscreen of a police van. Pic: UKNIP
Chief Constable Harrington stated officers did take individuals away from the protest “for his or her security, for the security of everybody there, as a result of it was one of the best operational factor to do to stop violence, to defuse the scenario, we drove them away from a violent confrontation”.
He additionally insisted his officers “are being completely neutral, policing in accordance with the regulation and ensuring we implement the regulation and attempt to shield communities”.
“I wish to make it actually, actually clear,” he stated.
“For those who come to protest peacefully and lawfully, then we are going to permit individuals to do this. It’s their democratic proper. It’s their authorized proper.
“For those who come right here and commit crime, we are going to take care of that robustly. Working with our companions, we are going to collect the proof and we are going to carry prosecutions as a result of that’s in no person’s curiosity for individuals to get damage.”
