Youths carrying large wooden sticks congregated outside town hall. Right-wing demonstrators were protesting against camp of migrants. Left-wing supporters of foreigners stormed area wearing black face masks. Comes as UK offered to send 9ft-high steel fences to improve security.
Anti-fascist activists clashed on the streets of Calais yesterday with protesters angry at the town’s swelling migrant population.
Young men and women, many wearing black face masks and carrying large wooden sticks, congregated outside the town hall to confront right-wing demonstrators.
It is the latest outburst in the escalating tensions among migrants and local communities which have reached breaking point in the last week.
The right-wing group Sauvons Calais – meaning ‘Save Calais’ – were protesting against the growing number of people, mostly from the Horn of Africa, Sudan and Afghanistan, who have set up camp as they try to enter the UK.
Around 300 riot police were called in to try to maintain peace as the protesters found themselves under attack from left-wing supporters of the foreigners.
Last night police struggled to set up barricades to keep the two groups separate as violence and vandalism raged on the streets.
The unrest follows the revelation yesterday that the UK government has offered to send 9ft-high steel fences to the town to improve security.
[…]
Complete text and video linked here.
