Migrants in violent clashes with police as they fight to stop the Calais Jungle being demolished

Violent scenes: Tear as canisters were fired by French police amid the chaos
Rex
Fiona Simpson24 October 2016

Migrants clashed with French riot police in pitched battles at the Calais Jungle camp on the eve of the demolition of the site.

Police fired tear gas and smoke grenades during violent clashes with a group of about 50 refugees who hurled stones and bottles at officers last night.

Violence erupted for the second night running over plans to bulldoze the site.

Camp residents yelled and jeered as a convoy of police vans drove by the edge of the camp as darkness fell.

Clashes: There was sporadic violence on Saturday night near the camp
EPA

Dramatic images showed police in riot gear carrying shields against a backdrop of flames at the site just hours before refugees were due to leave the camp for good.

Officers carrying batons reportedly charged at refugees in a bid to restore order.

Crowds surged towards the warehouse where processing was taking place as police opened the gates just after 7am today.

Police vans and fire engines gathered on the perimeter of the camp as people queued in the dark to register for accommodation centres elsewhere in France.

Thousands of people had been told they must leave the camp or risk arrest and deportation.

Tear gas: Police officers used tear gas and smoke grenades during the row
REUTERS

Buses will transport the majority of the camp's estimated 6,500 residents to temporary accommodation centres later today.

Dismantling of the camp is then expected to begin on Tuesday, a spokesman for the French interior ministry said.

He added: "Our priority is to welcome immigrants in order to protect them in France in good structures, good houses.

"We hope there will be numerous (people) but we don't know, and we hope to welcome just on Monday about 2,000-3,000 people."

Protesters from the No Borders group are also reported to have travelled to Calais in an effort to frustrate the evictions.

Over the last 48 hours, volunteers have been delivering thousands of rucksacks and urging residents to be prepared to leave in a bid to minimise the risk of violence.

Violent scenes: Police clashed with migrants at the camp last night (JEREMY SELWYN)
PICTURE JEREMY SELWYN

Charity bosses yesterday branded the management of the site “similar to Nazi Germany.”

Clare Moseley, founder of the Care4Calais refugee crisis charity which has been delivering aid to people in the camp, said: "I would not want to trivialise what happened to the Jews because it was so awful, but there are parallels that can be drawn.”

Armed police: Officers were involved in a violent stand-off with refugees
JEREMY SELWYN

She added that she was "very concerned" about the well-being of the inhabitants when they reach the new centres which she said range from apartments for families to buildings such as converted barns or disused schools.

She said: "For the last year the only people who have been providing the refugees with their clothing, with their food, with medical facilities, with legal advice, has been volunteers in the camp.

"The idea that after a year of not providing all these things in one location, the French authorities are suddenly going to start providing them in over 100 locations seems questionable, so we are really worried about where they are going to get all these things from."

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