British Police Strictly Guarding Weekend Demonstration To Prevent Riots

UNSPLASH/Chris Kursikowski ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The British Police will deploy hundreds of officers this weekend to secure demonstrations related to immigration.

Regional police chief Ben-Julian Harrington said it was aware of demonstrations to be held on Saturday and Sunday at Epping, in the Essex region in northeastern London, following protests over the past week resulting in public order violations.

"We will carry out strong police operations. Essex is safe. You will have hundreds of officers on duty," Harrington, Essex's police chief, told a news conference.

Demonstrations took place outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, about 32 kilometers north of London which is used to accommodate asylum seekers.

Five men have been charged with rioting incidents in recent days, after police made 10 arrests following vehicle damage and protesters throwing projectiles that injured eight officers.

The police warning follows last summer's nationwide riots when racist riots involving far-right supporters erupted after false reports on social media, the suspect in the murder of three girls was a radical Muslim migrant.

The focus of the Essex Police is to protect the public while still allowing peaceful protests to take place, Harrington said.

Hotel Epping has become the center of attention for some anti-immigration protesters and pro-immigration groups after an Ethiopian asylum seeker living there was charged with sexual assault, harassment, and inciting a girl to commit sexual activity.

He denied the allegations, according to a BBC report.

The man arrived in England by boat from northern Europe eight days before the alleged July 7 incident, the BBC said. He has now been detained.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to stop thousands of migrants arriving in England by small boats, but he struggled to do so.

Official data published earlier this month showed nearly 20,000 asylum seekers arriving on small boats in the first six months of the year, marking a record high for that period.