Essex Police were filmed escorting a pro-migration group, led by Dianne Abbott, towards a protest at an asylum hotel in Epping. The counter-demonstrators were carrying Stand Up to Racism placards – an organisation backed by trade unions with the suspended Labour MP at the helm. The local authority has received a huge amount of backlash after footage showed officers ushering the counter-protesters directly to the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, on July 17.
Protestors at the hotel claimed that the counter-group’s arrivals ignited the violence between the two groups. Essex Police, at first, denied that it marched the activists to the site, yet later backtracked and admitted that it did. Stand Up to Racism explicitly opposes Nigel Farage and his party – they launched a mass campaign against Reform UK, asking the public for donations on their website.
The group frequently campaigns against political figures, such as Conservative MP Robert Jenrick.
Ms Abbott, the group’s president, was suspended by Sir Keir Starmer’s party last week after she defended her previous claims of Jews experiencing racism differently to black people.
Other notable figures in the organisation include multiple trade unionists. Daniel Kebede, the vice-president, is the general secretary of the National Education Union and Mick Whelan, the vice-chairman is the general secretary of Aslef.
In response to the protests in Epping, Ms Abbott wrote on X: “The far right and fascists are on the march again, threatening serious violence directed at asylum-seekers.
“All the politicians who have demonised vulnerable people trying to exercise their lawful right to seek asylum bear responsibility for this.”
The suspended MP also shared a Stand Up to Racism post which accused Mr Farage of “giving cover to neo Nazi group Homeland who have organised the anti-refugee protests”.
The Reform UK leader launched an attack on Essex Police after the footage emerged, accusing its officers of “bussing in” what he called “Antifa protesters” hellbent on “forcing a confrontation” at the hotel.
He subsequently shared the clip in which demonstrators were allowed to get into a police vehicle, commenting: “This video proves @EssexPoliceUK transported left-wing protestors to The Bell hotel in Epping. There is no way Chief Constable BJ Harrington can stay in position.”
