A man has appeared before a court and denied a charge of violent disorder following a protest outside a hotel in Essex believed to be housing asylum seekers.
Eight police officers were injured following what started as a peaceful protest outside the Bell Hotel in Epping on Thursday evening.
Keith Silk, of Torrington Drive, Loughton, appeared before Southend Magistrates’ Court on Monday and entered a plea of not guilty to a charge of violent disorder, said to have happened on July 17.
The 33-year-old is also charged with criminal damage, having allegedly shaken a sign belonging to the hotel, but he was not asked to enter a plea to this.
District judge Christopher Williams bailed Silk, with conditions, until an appearance before Chelmsford Crown Court on August 18.
The judge said Silk must not visit Epping, must not attend any protest or demonstration in the UK and would have a curfew monitored by an electronic tag to be at his home address from 7pm to 7am daily.
Thursday’s demonstration was one of a series of protests outside the hotel since asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with sexual assault following an incident where he is alleged to have attempted to kiss a 14-year-old girl.
Kebatu denied the charge when he appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The latest protest, on Sunday, saw more than 100 demonstrators assemble outside the Bell Hotel in Epping with some chanting “save our kids”.
Essex Police said six people were arrested that evening and remain in custody, including a 17-year-old male on suspicion of causing criminal damage to a police car.
Four were arrested on Sunday for alleged offences during Thursday’s protest, police said.
