Police officers were spat at and had rocks thrown at them after protesters tried to storm homes linked to asylum seekers.
Protesters waving St George’s Cross flags gathered at the former RAF base (Image: PA)
Dozens of protesters gathered outside a former RAF base which could be used to house asylum seekers as police were given more powers after anti-immigration disorder in nearby Thetford earlier this week.
The Home Office announced in June that it was considering using Barnham Camp in Suffolk to accommodate people seeking asylum, and there have since been regular peaceful protests at the site.
Norfolk Police arrested two people at the former RAF base on Saturday in connection with the disorder in Thetford, and Caspar Randles-Mills, 31, of Great Barton, Suffolk, was charged with a public order offence.
Today, Sunday August 9, campaigners protested once again outside the gates of the camp.
Union Jack and St George’s flags were flown and some demonstrators held placards which read “Barnham says no. Protect our community”, while Reform UK’s Norfolk county councillor Scott Hussey gave a speech.
Tensions flared in Thetford, Norfolk, this week when people attempted to storm homes linked to asylum seekers and police officers were assaulted in three nights of unrest.
Police in Norfolk said officers were “subjected to significant aggression” in the market town on Wednesday, one was hit with a rock, one was bitten and another spat at.
The force said on Sunday that Saturday night had been “largely peaceful”, and no serious disorder was reported for a second night running.
Increased policing powers will remain in place in Thetford until 4pm on Tuesday, police said, including the power for officers to direct anyone committing, or who may commit, anti-social behaviour to leave the area.
Some of those who protested in the town this week included participants in the regular protests outside the former military site, the Guardian reported.
Police were at the scene of Sunday’s protest, and officers said they attended to “support the lawful right to protest while helping to ensure the safety of everyone involved and the wider public”.
A Suffolk Constabulary spokesperson added: “Policing protests requires us to balance the right of individuals to peacefully express their views with our responsibility to protect local communities, including protesters, residents and road-users.
“Our policing response will continue to be kept under review, informed by the latest available information and ongoing assessments of any potential risks to public safety.
“Previous protests at Ministry of Defence (MoD) Barnham have been peaceful, and we would like to thank all those involved for expressing their views in a lawful and respectful manner. We are confident that this positive approach will continue.”
The Home Office said the site was being assessed but plans would be subject to planning permission and approvals.
The camp would accommodate men aged between 18 and 65 who have applied for asylum.
No asylum seekers are yet housed at the site, which Suffolk Constabulary said is a training site for the Norfolk and Suffolk forces.
Police said some vehicles, such as buses seen on site, were used for training purposes and people on site include police, MoD employees and security staff.
Fury at secret Home Office plan to house asylum seekers in idyllic seaside town
Reform Welsh Senedd member Tom Montgomery claimed as many as 52 asylum seekers could be housed at the site.
Sunset over the Welsh coast near Gronant (Image: Getty)
Families in an idyllic coastal village better known for its colony of little terns have reacted with fury to secretive Home Office plans to house asylum seekers there. Residents of Gronant in Flintshire, which has a population of around 1,600, have been told that 13 of 15 new homes at the former Gronant Institute site are due to be used by Clearsprings, a company working for the Home Office, to accommodate families awaiting decisions on their asylum claims.
Local councillor Glyn Banks is seeking a meeting involving the area’s Labour MP, police and representatives of concerned residents. He said: “The lack of any early briefing from Clearsprings or the Home Office has caused great upset in the community.”
Reform Welsh Senedd member Tom Montgomery claimed as many as 52 asylum seekers could be housed at the site.
He has written to the UK Government asking what security checks have been carried out and demanding that the proposals are stopped.
Mr Montgomery said: “With Gronant only having 697 households, limited services, and poor public transport links, it should be apparent to any reasonable person that it is the wrong place to house asylum-seekers.”
The plans have prompted concern in the village, with residents angry that they say they were not properly informed about the proposals before they emerged.
Gronant is home to an important colony of little terns and is known for its coastal setting and sandy beaches.
Flintshire County Council defended the asylum seekers who could be housed there.
A spokesman said: “They are not illegal immigrants, they are individuals exercising their legal right to claim asylum and deserve to be treated with compassion and respect.”