Violence at the Bell Hotel: Far-right footprints in Epping Forest

Ugly violence broke out at the Bell Hotel in Epping Forest, Essex last night as an anti-migrant protest spiralled into disorder.

The hotel, which is being used to temporarily house asylum seekers, has been the centre of local hostility in recent years. Anxieties flared into angry protests over the past week after an asylum seeker was charged with three counts of sexual assault. 

Last night, what began as a peaceful demonstration featuring concerned locals, activists and so-called “citizen journalists”, descended into chaos as it was co-opted by masked men intent on violence. In scenes reminiscent of the countrywide rioting and disorder last summer, a section of protestors attacked police vehicles and left at least one officer injured.

The disorder follows a similar protest last Sunday, at which counter-protestors and security guards were also attacked. 

Notably, the Bell Hotel has been targeted by dedicated far-right activists since 2020, several of whom were involved in last night’s protest. This includes Eddy Butler, a former British National Party (BNP) organiser previously linked to a violent neo-Nazi group; Callum Barker, an activist for the fascist Homeland Party; Toni Collins (AKA Ginger Toni), a key figure in the circle surrounding Tommy Robinson; Lance Wright, involved in the neo-Nazi music network Blood & Honour; former Combat 18 activist Phil Curson; and activists associated with the anti-Muslim group Britain First.

Such activists are trying to steer local concern about asylum accommodation sites towards a wider far-right worldview, through which cross-Channel migration is interpreted as the deliberate “replacement” of the white British population. 

Unsurprisingly, the recent protests have captured the attention of the wider far right, with footage spread widely online alongside calls for the removal of migrants and blaming the violence on counter-protestors and the police.

Worryingly, some are calling for further unrest across the country, invoking “the lessons of Ballymena” – referencing the anti-migrant violence in the Northern Irish town last month – and framing the Epping protests as the beginning of a “summer of disorder”. 

The Organised Far Right and the Bell Hotel

The Epping Forest area has historically been a hotbed for far-right activity, with the fascist BNP winning a series of council seats in Loughton in the 2000s. 

Local activists include Eddy Butler, formerly involved in the National Front and linked to the neo-Nazi terror group Combat 18 before becoming a central figure in the BNP in the 2000s. After the BNP collapsed, Butler and moved on to For Britain, a now-defunct anti-Muslim party for whom Julian Leppert, an ex-BNP councillor, won a local council seat in 2019. Leppert now represents the British Democrats, a minor BNP splinter group active in Epping.

Notably, Butler and Leppert launched an anti-migrant campaign centring on the Bell Hotel in 2020, producing video content viewed thousands of times and gaining coverage in the national press. This coincided with an explosion of anti-migrant activism across the far right, particularly targeting sites of temporary asylum accommodation around the country.

From 2021, Patriotic Alternative (PA) – at that time the UK’s largest neo-Nazi group – followed suit, going on to distribute hundreds of tailored leaflets targeting the hotel over the next two years.

PA has since split, with many activists defecting to the new Homeland Party, which tries to hide its fascist political leanings from the public. This includes Callum Barker, who has inveigled his way into Epping community Facebook groups and organised litter picks in pursuit of local support.

We have previously exposed Barker for having used extreme racial slurs and posing with a copy of the manifesto of Ted Kaczynski (AKA The Unabomber), the American terrorist who murdered three people and maimed many more in a 17-year bombing campaign. 

Barker has been keen to be seen at the forefront of the recent protests, masquerading as a representative of local residents despite his extreme political aims.  

Initial Local Protests – Sunday 13 July

Conflict began on Sunday 13 July, when locals gathered to protest after an asylum seeker was charged with three counts of sexual assault. 

The alleged offender is said to have approached the victim on a busy high street last Tuesday, where he was quickly arrested for “acting inappropriately”. He is also charged for inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and harassment without violence. He appeared in Chelmsford magistrates court yesterday, where he denied the charges, with a trial to take place within 56 days.

The Sunday protest quickly gained traction online within far-right communities, with Tommy Robinson, Turning Point UK and others reposting footage. That evening, two Bell Hotel security guards were attacked at a bus stop and hospitalized for their wounds. The attack is being treated as a racist hate crime, and a 65-year old man has been charged with affray but released on bail, and is due to appear in Chelmsford Magistrates Court in September.

Escalating Violence – Thursday 17 July

The early evening of Thursday saw a crowd of mixed genders and ages gather peacefully outside the hotel, with the aforementioned Callum Barker taking to the stage with his megaphone to lead chants and address families most likely unaware of his extremist connections. 

Once again, a peaceful demonstration about a localised issue was hijacked by far-right actors intent on exploiting the events for their own agenda. “Citizen journalists” flocked to the site to cover the demonstration, including MitchMedia, Martin Gauci of The Uncensored Patriots and Wendell Daniel from Urban Scoop.

As the evening progressed, tensions rose, climaxing in clashes as a group of masked men hurled fireworks and eggs at police. Protestors ripped off the wingmirrors of police cars and attempted to break through van doors; footage shows a collection of protestors attacking a police van, with onlookers shouting “smash it” and throwing bottles. One individual pulled open the back door of a vehicle as it attempted to drive away, as another shouted “open up”’. 

Over the course of the evening, a protester was hit by a police van and an officer was injured. Far-right news outlets have claimed, without apparent evidence, that the peace was disrupted by “far-left agitators” and members of “Antifa”.

The events in Epping are a symptom of a recurring trend within the far right: co-opting the high emotions of local people to whip up hatred, pushing what could have been a peaceful protest towards violent disorder. The individuals engaging in violence are not representative of the people of Epping, who are understandably angry following the assault of a local girl. Instead, they sow division in the local area, which does nothing to assist the victims of sexual abuse.