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Calais blockade: Protest to target migrant Jungle camp Calais blockade: Protest to target migrant Jungle camp
(about 7 hours later)
A road blockade around Calais is due to assemble later to protest about the French port's migrant camp in a move set to disrupt travellers. A protest by lorry drivers and farmers against the migrant camp in Calais is expected to lead to major disruption in the French port.
Lorry drivers and farmers also plan to form a "human chain" in protest against the French government's failure to close the camp, known as the 'Jungle'. Vehicles will set out from Dunkirk and Boulogne on the A16 motorway leading to Calais on a "go slow".
Lorries will park across the A16, which runs from Calais and Boulogne. Local firms and trade unions are also set to join the demonstration against the French government's refusal to close the camp, known as the "Jungle".
Home Secretary Amber Rudd met her French counterpart last week and both pledged to improve the camp. A blockade near the Channel Tunnel is also threatened.
The lorry drivers are staging their protest over increasing threats from migrants and organised gangs, who have being attempting to board the vehicles. The lorry drivers say they are staging their protest over increasing threats from organised gangs and migrants, who have been attempting to board the vehicles to reach the UK.
The 'Jungle' has become the focal point of France's migrant crisis, with about 7,000 people living there from countries such as Sudan, Syria and Eritrea, many of whom exist in squalor. The presence of the camp, say the organisers of the protest, is undermining the town.
The "Jungle" has become the focal point of France's migrant crisis, with about 7,000 people living there from countries such as Sudan, Syria and Eritrea, many of whom exist in squalor.
BBC News correspondent Richard Galpin says one asylum seeker from Sudan has said he is saddened by the way local people view the camp, saying all they want is to live in peace after escaping from conflict.
Lorries and tractorsLorries and tractors
The Freight Transport Association said it had spoken "at length once again" on Saturday with one of the protest organisers, David Sagnard, and he had indicated the blockade would go ahead as planned. One of the protest organisers, David Sagnard, told BBC News 80 lorries and 100 tractors would take part.
Mr Sagnard told BBC News 80 lorries and 100 tractors would take part.
Over the course of the weekend reports emerged in the Mail on Sunday that criminal gangs were adopting new techniques to try and get migrants into the UK.
These techniques, the paper said, included throwing items at cars in a deliberate attempt to make them crash, to try and divert attention away from migrants boarding empty vehicles.
On Thursday, Mayor of Calais Natacha Bouchart said the blockade would cause "chaos" for British travellers.On Thursday, Mayor of Calais Natacha Bouchart said the blockade would cause "chaos" for British travellers.
In recent weeks there have been reports of criminal gangs adopting new techniques to try to get migrants into the UK.
These techniques are said to include throwing items at cars in a deliberate attempt to make them crash, to try to divert attention away from migrants boarding vehicles.
Jean-Pierre Devigne from France's largest trucking union, the FNTR, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the protesters were "determined to show to the people we are not happy with the situation" and wanted the camp to be closed.
'Impossible to leave''Impossible to leave'
Richard Burnett, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association (RHA), said he had spoken to a French road transport union, the FNTR, which said that on Monday at 06:30 BST lorries and tractors would gather at Dunkirk to the north of Calais and at Boulogne to the south. Richard Burnett, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association (RHA), says the FNTR indicated the lorries and tractors would gather at Dunkirk to the north of Calais and at Boulogne to the south.
"Both groups will then travel along the A16 [motorway] towards Calais, converging at the Eurotunnel exit," he said."Both groups will then travel along the A16 [motorway] towards Calais, converging at the Eurotunnel exit," he said.
"It seems certain that traffic crossing from the UK will find it almost impossible to leave the port as access to the A16 is denied." "It seems certain that traffic crossing from the UK will find it almost impossible to leave the port, as access to the A16 is denied."
Farmers angry at the destruction of crops caused by the swelling of the migrant camp are also believed to be joining the protest, with the RHA estimating that around 200 will get involved. Speaking on Today, Mr Burnett said: "We are very concerned about the impact and as we saw last year... the chances are, if this blockade actually backs the port up, then it will strangle the port and we will see implications back on British soil as well."
He said there were "insufficient resources" in place to protect British lorry drivers but he sympathised with the protesters and agreed there needed to be "demonstrable plan" that shows the camp will be dismantled.
Farmers are said to be angry at the destruction of crops caused by the swelling of the migrant camp, with the RHA estimating that around 200 will get involved.
In February authorities demolished a large area of the southern part of the Jungle, in an attempt to reduce numbers, but the size of the camp has been steadily increasing, according to estimates, and now protesters are calling for the northern area to be dismantled.In February authorities demolished a large area of the southern part of the Jungle, in an attempt to reduce numbers, but the size of the camp has been steadily increasing, according to estimates, and now protesters are calling for the northern area to be dismantled.
The president of the Association of Calais Traders was quoted in a number of papers as saying: "We are changing our tactics after using soft methods and obtaining nothing but promises from the state that it is giving priority to the wellbeing of the migrants over those of traders, port workers, hauliers, tourists and farmers.The president of the Association of Calais Traders was quoted in a number of papers as saying: "We are changing our tactics after using soft methods and obtaining nothing but promises from the state that it is giving priority to the wellbeing of the migrants over those of traders, port workers, hauliers, tourists and farmers.
"We will not budge from the motorway until the state gives us the dates for the total demolition of the northern zone of the 'Jungle'.""We will not budge from the motorway until the state gives us the dates for the total demolition of the northern zone of the 'Jungle'."
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