English, French, Belgians, Italians … About 2000 people demonstrated Saturday afternoon in Calais (Pas-de-Calais) to support the camp of migrants “Jungle”.
These protesters demanding “reception conditions worthy”. Politicians have also participated in this event, including the former far-left candidate for president Philippe Poutou (NPA).
Health emergency
“There are humanitarian emergency. We must offer a welcome worthy of migrants, this is the minimum we can do “, he has said.
“We can not let this situation continue here. People live in unacceptable conditions, which are unworthy. I call on Mr Valls and Mr. Cazeneuve to take all measures needed to regularize this situation “, said Karima Delli, ecologist MEP.
Protestors gathered at 2pm at the “Jungle” in Calais, the demonstrators then dispersed at around 4.30pm after reaching the Place d’Armes in the centre of the city without no incidents have been reported.
A ferry occupied by migrants at the end of the event
In the final moments of the protest, “about 200 people have entered the port and fifty are mounted on a boat”, told Reuters by the sub-prefect of Calais, Denis Gaudin. “Some tear gas canisters were launched. At this time, there are still a few people on board, we’re going to go “, he added.
LR mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchart, lamented on his Twitter account that the protesters are engaged in “serious misbehavior” including tagging a statue of General de Gaulle.
“Several hundred migrants, assisted by protesters, entered the port by breaking through fences”, she said, adding: “Proof is made that the demonstrations organized by the defenders of migrants mainly have the intention to disrupt the local economic life .”
Preuve est faite que les manifestations organisées par pseudos défenseurs des migrants ont essentiellement pr vocation de perturber vie éco.
— Natacha BOUCHART (@NatachaBouchart) January 23, 2016
4000 migrants in the “Jungle”
Approximately 4,000 migrants, mostly from Eastern Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan, live in the “Jungle” in Calais, considered the largest slum in France, hoping to reach the United Kingdom, regarded by them as an Eldorado.
On 11th January, a temporary reception centre (CAP) consisting of 125 12-seat heated containers can accommodate 1 500 migrants was inaugurated.
At the same time, about forty kilometres to the north, the leader of the British opposition Labour Jeremy Corbyn, visited the camp of Grande-Synthe migrants, to learn about the difficult conditions in which to survive some 2500 migrants and talk to the many volunteers, including the UK, according to several sources associative.
