Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has characterised demonstrators at the Epping migrant hotel protests as "concerned families" rather than extremists, whilst issuing a stark warning about potential widespread civil unrest.
During a Central London speech, Farage cautioned that the capital failed to grasp how near Britain stood to "civil disobedience on a vast scale", expressing regret at making such an assessment.
He acknowledged that troublemakers had attended the Epping demonstrations but rejected blanket characterisations of participants as extremists. "It isn't all far-right thuggery as you might sometimes hear from our Prime Minister," he stated.
Farage insisted that the majority of demonstrators outside the Bell Hotel were "just genuinely concerned families" rather than politically motivated extremists from either end of the spectrum.
GB NEWS / PA
|Nigel Farage reacted to protests in Epping
The Reform UK leader directed criticism towards anti-fascist groups, questioning their treatment by authorities compared to other demonstrators.
"Why are Antifa allowed to go to these demonstrations, wear balaclavas, to not be identified and do gestures of them shooting at members of the public?" Farage asked during his address.
He cited an incident from three months prior in Cornwall, where he claimed anti-fascist activists were permitted to assault attendees at one of his public meetings without consequence.
Essex Police had imposed Section 60 orders during the Epping protests, requiring removal of face coverings with arrest threatened for non-compliance. However, Farage suggested this enforcement was applied unevenly between different groups of demonstrators.
PA | Police officers and protesters on Hemnall Street in Epping
His comments highlighted what he perceived as double standards in policing protest groups.
"Don't underestimate the simmering anger and disgust there is in this country," he warned, highlighting weekly arrivals of "many hundreds of undocumented young males".
He expressed particular concern about cultural differences, stating that many arrivals originated from societies where "women are not even treated as second class citizens".
GB NEWS
|Farage warned civil unrest is on its way
The Reform UK leader emphasised his understanding of residents' frustrations, declaring "Do I understand how people in Epping feel? You bet your life I do."
The demonstrations at the Bell Hotel in Epping resulted in significant violence across multiple evenings, with Essex Police reporting eight injured officers and damaged police vehicles during Thursday's protest.
A 33-year-old Loughton resident faced charges of violent disorder and criminal damage, appearing before Chelmsford Magistrates' Court following his Saturday arrest by detectives from the serious crime directorate.
Sunday evening witnessed renewed confrontations as demonstrators hurled bottles and smoke flares at police, with crowds chanting "send them home" and "save our kids" whilst officers formed protective barriers around the hotel entrance.
Local authorities condemned the violence, with Epping Forest District Council leader Chris Whitbread praising peaceful protesters whilst denouncing those who "undermined their message" through aggressive behaviour.
Both council leaders reiterated calls for the Home Office to immediately close the facility, describing the Bell Hotel as "entirely unsuitable" for housing asylum seekers.