The Epping protests make me ashamed to admit Im from Essex
Independent5 days
UK: Protesters Gather Against Asylum Hotels in Essex & London
Above: Protesters march into the town center of Epping, northeast of London, on July 20, 2025. Image copyright: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
Recent protests reveal how far-right extremists systematically exploit local incidents to spread anti-asylum hatred nationwide. What started as community concerns was hijacked by organized agitators with long histories of racist activism, using isolated cases to fuel broader xenophobic narratives. Communities like Epping become unwilling stages for extremist theater designed to normalize anti-migrant violence.
Right narrative
While British people continue to struggle in a cost of living crisis, the government spends billions on luxury hotels for illegal migrants posing as genuine asylum seekers. When protests arise after these migrants commit crimes against young girls, police encourage violent clashes through the support and facilitation of pro-migrant activists. There has never been a clearer example of the British government betraying its people.