Council offices were vandalised and seriously damaged when anti-immigration protestors disrupted a meeting of Swale Borough Council yesterday as it debated joining the District of Sanctuary scheme.
Around 50 demonstrators packed into the East Street chamber in Sittingbourne for the debate, led by prominent local activists Harry Hilden and Jodie Scott, aka MissusKent.
Many remained peaceful, but others heckled throughout, shouting slurs and chanting “we say no,” forcing the meeting to be paused. Amongst them was a group of four men wearing balaclavas.
The meeting descended into chaos, culminating in vandalism, intimidation, and the closure of the council’s offices today, with meetings having to be held online.
Vitriolic agitation
The council was meeting to consider joining the national “District of Sanctuary” initiative.
The motion, intended to affirm that asylum seekers already residing in the borough should be “welcomed, supported and valued”, had attracted vitriolic online agitation from local far-right figures in the days beforehand.
During the disruption, Liberal Democrat councillor Ben Martin was subjected to homophobic abuse, while an egg was thrown at Green councillor Alastair Gould.
Councillors also reported instances of spitting. One councillor later wrote that the atmosphere felt “more akin to a putsch than a meeting of a modern, functioning democracy.”
Extensive damage
After the meeting extensive vandalism was discovered on the first floor.
The men’s toilets had been badly damaged: smashed soap dispensers, taps left running, flooding that collapsed part of the ground-floor ceiling, and litter strewn through stairwells. A lift had been seriously vandalised. Police are investigating.
Council leader Tim Gibson described the scenes as “absolutely disgusting,” while Conservative group leader Lloyd Bowen said he had “never encountered such disgraceful and disgusting behaviour” in his years as a councillor.
Celebratory comments
The disorder follows days of mobilisation by far-right activist Harry Hilden, who had urged supporters to attend.
After the meeting, several of those involved posted celebratory and abusive commentary online, including attempts to justify the damage.
Local Reform UK figures, including Councillor Kiran Mishchuk went online to celebrate the motion’s defeat.
Though some attempted to distance themselves from the worst behaviour, others chatted happily with demonstrators.
