An estimated two thousand people attended the rally in East Sussex, with many mothers leading chants of “Starmer out” as they voiced anger over the decision to convert the disused site into migrant accommodation.
Protesters carried Union Jacks and St Georges flags alongside handwritten signs that read “Protect us protect our children” and “Our childrens freedom gone so they can have theirs”.
Crowborough, a town of twenty one thousand residents, borders Ashdown Forest and sits within an area of outstanding natural beauty. The ancient woodland famously inspired AA Milne’s Hundred Acre Wood in the Winnie the Pooh stories.
Tensions in the community have risen sharply. At a heated public meeting last week, private security guards were forced to intervene when local politicians were chased out of the hall. Some residents say they have already installed panic alarms in their homes, while others expressed concern about access to GP services, noting that many locals struggle to book appointments.
Kim Bailey, chairwoman of Crowborough Shield, a grassroots group opposing the plans, questioned the suitability of the site.
She said: “It is absurd what they are doing. Vulnerable men from war torn countries, in Crowborough? You have the police firearms training centre and a public shooting range right there. People with trauma who hear gunshots every day will be triggered, and they will try to escape that environment.
“These are unvetted men. We do not know who they are. This is a rural area surrounded by woodland. If crime happens it will go unheard.”
Bailey also claimed that the camp itself was unsafe.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said she intends to announce major reforms to the asylum system. These include removing the right to housing and weekly allowances and introducing a twenty year period before asylum seekers can apply for permanent settlement. Bailey dismissed the proposals, saying they would not affect the immediate situation in Crowborough.
The Crowborough Shield campaign group has raised more than twelve thousand pounds to challenge the Home Office plans through legal action.
Wealden district council, run by an alliance of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green councillors, accused the Home Office of creating an “information vacuum” that fuelled tension and threats against local representatives.
The Home Office apologised for the handling of the plans but said that using military sites is part of the government pledge to end the use of hotels for asylum seekers before the next election.
Bailey rejected assurances that the accommodation would operate for only twelve months. “We do not believe them. Why would they spend millions if it is only for twelve months?” she said.
Crowborough and the Cameron Barracks in Inverness were the first military sites identified to host up to nine hundred asylum seekers, as revealed by The Times last month.
The Home Office said all residents would undergo security checks and that asylum seekers would receive clear instructions about expected behaviour on and off site.
Kerrie Knight, an organiser with the Pink Ladies campaign which protests against migrant accommodation in hotels, said: “This is not about race or religion. This is about love. It is about risk and safety. It is about common sense.”
