A sea of flags rippled through the crowd as thousands of protesters packed the streets passionately chanting ‘Starmer out’ to oppose plans to house asylum seekers in a nearby army base.
Local residents protested against the plans to turn the Crowborough army training camp in East Sussex into accommodation for 600 lone male asylum seekers.
This proposal is part of Labour’s bid to reduce the use of asylum hotels.
Locals claim they have installed panic alarms in their homes amid safety fears.
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They also raised concerns about these 600 migrants registering with the area’s GPs, with some saying they already struggle with booking appointments.
Around 2,000 people attended today’s march, which came after an angry public meeting where local politicians were shouted at and chased out of the community centre hall on Thursday night.
During this public meeting, Cllr Andrew Wilson, a Wealden District Council member, spoke out and gathered a lot of applause.
He said: ‘This is a disgrace. The Home Office have failed this community, you have put us at risk, and I am appalled.
‘Just today, there were three people in Lewis Crown Court, all of whom were part of your asylum program, and they brutally raped a woman on Brighton Beach on October 4th.
‘I do not want that in Crowborough, and I want your assurance that you’ll take personal responsibility for anything that happens in this town as a result of what you’re doing.’
Sussex Police confirmed there were no arrests made during the peaceful protest.
This is not the first protest against the decision to use the abandoned army base, as one took place on November 8, which started at the camp and headed up into the town centre.
Should unused army bases be used as asylum accomodation?
Refugee status will become temporary and subject to regular review, with refugees removed as soon as their home countries are deemed safe to return to.
Apparently, there will be a 20-year wait to apply for permanent settlement in the UK, and the right to support, including housing and weekly allowances, will be revoked.
A grassroots organisation called Crowborough Shield has challenged the Home Office and has raised more than £12,000 to fund legal action.
The Chair of the organisation, Kim Bailey, is confident they will be able to stop the use of the army base as asylum accommodation.
The barracks were previously used to house Afghan families evacuated during the withdrawal from Kabul in 2021, before they resettled elsewhere.
Before this, the army camp had a proud history going back to the war, where Canadian forces would use it to prepare for D-Day and the fightback against the Nazis.
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