Scampton protest camp under new management

After weeks of escalating tensions amongst three distinct groups, culminating in attacks by masked assailants on campaigners during the night, protesters occupying the large protest camp outside the former airbase have retreated.

Last summer, as the Home Office began installing portacabins for its proposed asylum centre, local residents formed a protest camp at the main gate to oppose plans for housing up to 2,000 asylum seekers.

Over time, Alek Yerbury, a far-right activist and leader of the National Support Detachment (NSD) group, took charge of the site, reportedly ousting members of the local community.

Afterwards, the site witnessed numerous reports of drug use and drunkenness, leading Lincoln Labour candidate Hamish Falconer to condemn the individuals involved as “pathetic racist thugs.”

The group have now left the site, leading local residents to start clearing it up, making it ready to open to the public once again.

Sarah Carter, spearheading the Save Our Scampton campaign, is amongst the locals tidying up the site and calling on the community for support.

She said: “You’ve got a voice now, come and use it. Come and show the Home Office that we are not backing down. Whether it’s a year or two, we’re going to be here.”

The Great British Guardians group also joined the campaign, aiming to resolve the conflict among the rival factions.

At the time of writing, it remains unclear whether anyone has been arrested in connection with the recent wave of violence.

A leaked message from Alek Yerbury, presumably sent to a group chat, reveals his and his group’s decision to withdraw, stating the camp “no longer serves any kind of purpose.”

“The bottom line is that what is happening to RAF Scampton is not an isolated incident in a vacuum, it is the result of more than 50 years of destructive citizenship and border control. The proposed RAF Scampton migrant camp is a symptom of that problem, not the problem in itself.”