Two men have been charged after violence erupted at a protest over housing asylum seekers at the Bell Hotel in Epping on Friday.
Jimmy Hillard, 52, of Chequers Road, Loughton, was charged with assaulting an emergency worker and Ross Ellis, 49, of Orchard Croft, Harlow, was charged with failing to provide a specimen.
A third man arrested on suspicion of violent disorder remains in custody, Essex Police said.
The protest coincided with the result of a legal challenge by the government, which successfully overturned a temporary injunction which would have blocked asylum seekers from being housed at the hotel.
Politics latest: Home Office says court win ‘avoids chaos’
Despite the Court of Appeal decision, at least 13 other councils are considering pressing ahead with legal action over the use of asylum hotels in their areas, according to The Times.
They include at least four Labour-run authorities, such as Wirral, Stevenage, Tamworth and Rushmoor councils.
Protests and counter-protests are being held across several towns and cities on Saturday – so far they have all been peaceful.
A demonstration outside the Home Office planned by a group calling itself the Great British National Protest failed to materialise when only a handful of people turned up.
Meanwhile Sky News has spoken to protesters who share a sense of anger about the cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels and feel they are ignored by the government. They strongly reject being identified as “fascists” or “far-right thugs”.
