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Calais: Far-right Members Attack Police and Block Refugee Roads

  • The fascists reportedly blocked three of the city's bridges from where refugees access the town.

    The fascists reportedly blocked three of the city's bridges from where refugees access the town. | Photo: @G_deLinares

Published 12 March 2016
Opinion

14 people were arrested during an unauthorized anti-refugee rally, while French authorities completed the controversial dismantling of a refugee camp.

A total of 14 far-right activists were arrested Saturday in Calais for attacking state officials during an anti-refugee demonstration that was not allowed by administrative authorities.

Among them was a Calais resident known for having threatened refugees with a gun at a previous demonstration. France's attorney general recently said that the man would not face any charges.

According to authorities, about 80 supporters of nationalist movement “Generation identitaire” gathered in two different spots in Calais.

They reportedly blocked three of the city's bridges that refugees use to access the town at around 7 a.m. The police dispersed the protest about two hours later and seized a truck from protesters “carrying material”. Firemen had to intervene to put out a fire the right-wingers had set.

Photo: @G_deLinares

“For months, Calais has been a symbol … of the real invasion confronting our continent,” said the group on Facebook. It added that the city has recently seen “attacks against police, against motorists and truck drivers, city riots, the total disintegration of social life and the economy. Since these governments refuse to protect people by restoring the borders … they will see people building barricades! As this morning in Calais.”
 

Armed Far-right Militias Launch Anti-Refugee Campaign

In the past weeks, a total of 15 men have been arrested in Calais, for allegedly taking part in racist gangs organized in order to beat up refugees and steal their money in a brutal campaign of unprecedented violence.

On Friday, five men were arrested, accused of attacking three Syrians in January near the train station at Calais. Impersonating police officers, the men used iron bars and pickaxe handles, said the police, not only to beat up the refugees but also allegedly to steal their money.

They have admitted to the assaults but have denied stealing any money, but according to a police source, "one of the Syrians attacked on the night of the 20 to 21 of January reported a theft of US$4,500."

The men have admitted attacking a 13-year-old boy an hour before targeting the three Syrians in January, the source said.
 

France completes the destruction of Calais refugee camp

Meanwhile, more than 5 out of the 7.7 hectares of Calais' refugee camp has been destroyed, corresponding to two thirds of the area, mostly in the south, informed Calais' administrative authorities on Saturday.

The dismantling, which started on Feb. 29, is expected to be complete by Tuesday, estimated L'auberge des Migrants' President, Christian Salome.

“War and bombs forced (the refugees) out of their home country, now they are forced out of their shelters,” he told AFP. According to him, most of the refugees who used to live in the southern area moved to the camp's northern area.

Various charities opposed the dismantling, arguing that the number of refugees living in the camp exceeded by far the official estimate claimed by French authorities, therefore leaving thousands without a relocation plan.

As a result, Doctors Without Borders set up a new refugee camp near the town of Grande Synthe, in the Nord-Pas de Calais region, without the approval of the French government.

On Friday, Xavier Bertrand, president of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie region, told the Guardian that France wants UK border guards to tell refugees that Britain is tightening asylum rules.

"What we need now is UK border guards going through the camp at Calais every week telling the people that it is no longer the case that the UK is an El Dorado,” he said.

"'Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie' becomes the 'The North' and Xavier Bertrand becomes Jon Snow." 

Tags

Refugee & immigrant rights Calais France Racism Right-wing violence

AFP-La Croix
by teleSUR / md-RT
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