Essex Police has fact-checked alt-right accounts on social media over claims about footage from the recent protests in Epping.
Over the last few days, there have been a number of protests in Epping relating to a hotel housing asylum seekers.
These were sparked after a man living in the hotel was arrested, and subsequently charged, with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.
Hadush Kebatu, 41, from Ethiopia, has denied the offences and is in custody.
Kebatu’s arrest has made Epping the centre of attention for anti-immigration marches and protests though.
In response to these far-right marches, pro-immigration and anti-racism groups carried out their own protests. But footage of one of these marches has gone viral over claims an officer policing the protest told his colleagues to look out for any “fascists.”
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One major far-right account GB Politics had shared the footage with this claim, prompting Essex Police to issue an “important correction” on the matter.
Sharing GB Politics now-deleted post, Essex Police said on X: “Quite an important correction on this clip doing the rounds. The video shows officers policing recent protests in Epping.
“The officer actually says: ‘If you see any FLASHES, left or right, you deal’. Officers often talk about being alert to ‘flashes/flashpoints’ at protests!”
In a follow up post sharing another clip of the footage, the police wrote: “Well, we had shared the footage posted by @GBPolitcs to correct the record… But they seem to have deleted their post!
“Here is the original footage. To repeat, the officer is actually saying: “If you see any FLASHES, left or right, you deal” – (in the context of flashpoints).”