Man arrested after protest over asylum seeker camp
A50-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested following protests outside a military barracks being used to house asylum seekers in Wales.
The man, who has not been named and is not from the area, is being held on suspicion of public order offences during a second day of protesting outside the camp in the village of Penally, near Tenby, on Tuesday.
Monday night saw the first group of up to 250 male asylum seekers aged between 18 and 35 moved by the Home Office into converted barracks just yards from homes in the village. It followed an organised protest on Monday evening.
The decision to house the migrants in the camp was criticised by First Minister Mark Drakeford, while a Welsh Conservative politician blamed the resulting disorder on “people bussed in from outside with very unpleasant political agendas”.
Dyfed-Powys Police said around 40 people had again protested in the area on Tuesday evening, and the 50-year-old man was arrested at around 5.40pm.
Superintendent Anthony Evans, divisional commander for Pembrokeshire, said: “We understand tensions are running high in the community, but Monday night’s scenes endangered everyone and caused understandable alarm.
“We are actively reviewing a significant amount of footage extracted from our officers’ body-worn cameras, from footage shared to social media and intelligence obtained from other sources. Those identified committing criminal offences will be prosecuted.”
There has also been a show of support for the asylum seekers being housed at the MoD site. Supporters
gathered at the gates of the camp at around 8am yesterday. Collections of clothes, food and mobile phones have already been made to aid the asylum seekers as their claims are processed.
Patrick Connellan, founder of Stand Up To Racism West Wales, which organised the welcome, said he was pleased so many people turned out in support.
“We got together in less than 12 hours’ notice. We had 60 people at the camp gates and had a meeting on Sunday on the beach in Tenby.
“Essentially we did not want any confrontation. The Penally residents
have turned their back on the outside provocateurs.”
He added: “One thousand people in Pembrokeshire have joined Stand Up To Racism in West Wales, which is great. Many people in Pembrokeshire welcome refugees and are not racist.”
Mr Connellan, who founded the group a couple of years ago, said he felt the county of Pembrokeshire as a whole was opposed to racism.
He said: “We want to welcome people from around the world. We have a lot of hope we are turning things around now in Penally – it’s much more positive.”