Protests Spread to Thetford as Bishop Condemns Disorder
Anti-migrant protests spread over the weekend to a former RAF base near Thetford in Norfolk that is earmarked for asylum accommodation, where crowds gathered and arrests were made. The Bishop of Thetford condemned the “indefensible” disorder. In Bristol, protesters and counter-protesters arrested at a demonstration were released.
The unrest, echoing the anti-migrant riots that swept England last summer, has become the most serious test yet of the government’s ability to keep order around asylum housing. Police have warned that agitators, some amplified by accounts based abroad, are exploiting local grievances and misinformation. Church leaders and community figures have appealed for calm, warning that vulnerable people and officers are being endangered. The disorder unfolds amid a record week for Channel crossings and a charged national argument. Watch whether the protests widen or tougher policing contains them.