All hell broke loose as 500 migrants stormed UK-bound ferry in Port of Calais. Nine anarchists were arrested along with other 26 migrants for leading the chaos and defacing Charles de Gaulle statue. France vows to maintain law and order after incident.
Daily Mail UK has confirmed a report that British "No Borders" activists were among the people who were arrested for leading the chaos that spurred the shutdown of Port of Calais and the defacing of the statue of France's historic figure.
The president of the French region Xavier Bertrand, said on Twitter that "The attitude of No Borders in Calais is scandalous - there must be a punishment. I demand that the government urgently holds a crisis meeting." Eight of those who were arrested during the chaos are to face immediate trial and are facing six months prison time if convicted.
Reuters reported that French officials have called to increase the troops in the area to restore order. Calais serves as a stopover before Britain for migrants fleeing poverty and war from the Middle East and Africa.
About 5,000 migrants were camping in what they have come to call "The Jungle" - a squalid, slum area where people, old and young, are trying to live until they can work in Britain and start a new life.
Vice News reported that the chaos was the migrants' demonstration to demand opening the borders to improve their living conditions. According to the report, a group of people wearing black masks vandalized the statue of General de Gaulle, with the words "Nik la France".
Several people broke through the cordon set by the riot police and run into the ferry port around 5pm. Some of them made their way onto P&O ferry Spirit of Britain but nobody successfully embarked the ship as the staff locked it from the inside. As a result, the port had to be temporarily shut down but was up and running again by 8:30pm.
