Overview

• Demonstrations and counter‑protests began Friday night at sites including Orpington and Cheshunt, where large police cordons were in place and the Met reported no arrests in Orpington.
• Organisers say rallies will take place across dozens of locations over the bank holiday, with Abolish Asylum System events and Stand Up To Racism counter‑protests scheduled in multiple towns and cities.
• The High Court’s interim injunction on Epping’s Bell Hotel requires residents to leave by 4pm on 12 September, and ministers are seeking permission to intervene and appeal the ruling.
• Reporting identifies around 18 councils pursuing or considering legal routes to block hotel use, reflecting wider local pushback following the Epping decision.
• Charities say hotel residents feel intimidated and afraid to go outside, as government figures cited in coverage put the hotel population at roughly 32,000 and ministers maintain a pledge to end hotel use by 2029.