Overview
- An estimated 800 to 1,000 people marched through Braintree to protest the nearby asylum accommodation at the former RAF Wethersfield base.
- Police boosted their presence in the town, and reporting said the demonstration passed off peacefully.
- Braintree District Council cancelled the weekly town centre market in advance, citing uncertainty over turnout and public safety.
- RAF Wethersfield has housed asylum seekers since July 2023 and is reported to accommodate up to about 1,700 people.
- Essex anti-racism coalitions denounced Robinson’s involvement, are preparing a countywide unity event, and plan to support a Together Against the Far Right march in London on March 28.