Two people have been charged after protesters against a hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping marched on the town’s council offices.
A woman climbed the steps at the Epping Forest District Council building and unfurled a Union flag during Sunday’s demonstration.
Essex Police said on Tuesday that a man and a woman have been charged.
The force said Sarah White, 40, of Luxborough Lane, Chigwell, was arrested on suspicion of breaching a Section 14 order, which was put in place by police to designate where people could assemble.
This was an area marked by low fencing across the road from the Bell Hotel, and the order stipulated protest activity had to end by 8pm.
Police said White has been charged with “failing to comply with the conditions of participation of a procession and being a public procession organiser failing to comply with a notice”.
She has been bailed to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on October 15.
The force stressed that nobody had been arrested for unfurling a flag.
Police said Scott Davey, 32, of Wheelers Close, Nazeing, was also arrested on suspicion of breaching a Section 14 order.
He has been charged with failing to comply with the conditions of participation in a public assembly, the force said.
He has been bailed to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on October 31.
A third person, a 22-year-old man from Epping, was arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred and racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage, over allegations that a banner was set alight on Friday.
He has been released on conditional bail until November 28.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper said: “We’ve consistently said that we’ll always seek to facilitate lawful protest and we have done that throughout this summer.
“We put plans in place on Sunday to prevent serious disruption to the lives of our Epping residents, which remains at the forefront of our minds, as well as to prevent serious disorder, violence and damage to property.
“There has been suggestion on social media that we made an arrest on Sunday because someone unfurled a flag.
“I want to be really clear – that is categorically wrong.
“Any suggestion that this was the case is completely false.
“Unfurling or putting up a flag is not a criminal offence, and nobody has been arrested for doing that.”
