Hundreds of men, some dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, attempted to prevent the arrivals from being transported for processing until early morning, when police removed them with threats of arrest. A witness reported two police car windscreens were smashed. The protests came two days after similar scenes in Dover, where black-clad protesters also blocked roads.
Minister Emma Reynolds said the demonstrations 'cross a line,' and the government condemned the actions as 'thuggish and intimidating.'
Separately, Chancellor John Healey set out his economic vision, promising a 'fundamental shift' to drive growth by empowering local leaders and removing red tape. He said the next chapter of Britain's growth story 'will be written in more places' and that he wants to see wealth creation and businesses make a profit.
The Conservatives and Reform UK criticised the speech. Shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith called it a 'policy-light word salad' that would do little to comfort families worried about tax rises and high borrowing rates, adding that Healey is 'an empty vessel with no idea about how to rescue our economy.'