Quelle: The Guardian

Drivers report people trying to break locks and slash open roofs of lorries, while diversionary tactics were apparently also used to draw police away

Refugees enter the trailer of a truck near the Eurotunnel in Calais. Photograph: Philippe Huguen/AFP/Getty Images

Disturbances flared in Calais on Thursday as people trying to make their way to the UK from France took part in orchestrated incidents, witnesses have said.

People tried to break the locks and slash open the roofs of lorries that had been forced to slow down in a bid to climb inside, while there were also reports that diversionary tactics were used to draw police officers away from the scene.

“They were attacking vehicles, breaking the locks off trucks, slashing roofs of the lorries and climbing in the back of them,” said Chris Yarsley of the Freight Transport Association, who said he was touring Eurotunnel facilities at the time.

He said that French police were “highly visible and were taking extreme measures to break up the crowds, including using teargas and closing the motorway”. But he said they appeared to be overwhelmed by the number of people.

“We were told of disturbances in the town centre which diverted police attention allowing opportunities for incursion attempts,” Yarsley added.

Eurotunnel spokesman John Keefe said: “It was clearly well organised and orchestrated. And it came on one of the busiest days of the year for freight, with 6,000 to 7,000 trucks around today.

“Opportunity-wise they would have known that and clearly information is out there. The security at the tunnel and the additional police meant they didn’t get to the tunnel.

“It turned out to be a neutral day from our perspective but clearly there was a level of orchestrating behind the events we saw.”

The disturbances came as the Freight Transport Association Ireland reported that one of its members’ vehicles had been damaged by “stone-throwing migrants”. […]