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Video of crowds welcoming asylum seekers at Napier Barracks, Folkestone, to sounds of Toy Story's You've Got a Friend in Me

By: Rhys Griffiths rgriffiths@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 11:34, 17 October 2020

Updated: 12:16, 17 October 2020

This is the heart-warming moment crowds waved and shouted at asylum seekers living in army barracks as Toy Story classic You've Got a Friend in Me boomed out - and they waved back.

Kent Refugee Action Network has organised a welcome meeting for people quarantining Napier Barracks, Folkestone and so far more than 200 people have attended.

Supporters welcome asylum seekers

At one point a young man could be seen inside the barracks holding up a sign reading 'we love you'.

Police are also there in case far-right groups show up to counter demonstrate, although mid-way through the event none had turned up.

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One of those in attendance this morning was 65-year-old Edward Troup from Newchurch.

He said: "Britain has been built on waves of immigration, we have hundreds of years of being welcoming and it's sad that we have stopped being welcoming to people who can help make this a great country."

A refugee holds up a sign at Napier Barracks

Bridget Chapman, from KRAN, told KentOnline before today's meeting: “It came about because we felt that there was a lot of local support for the new residents at Napier Barracks and we thought that people needed a way to actively display that support.

"We were getting messages all the time from people asking what they could do and we thought that this would be a really nice way to demonstrate all that goodwill.”

One man, staying at the barracks, spoke to KentOnline this week and revealed he had been confronted by protesters.

He said: "For my own safety I prefer not to leave. If we go to the shop to buy something people will try and video me by force, invading my personal space. When I refuse by raising my hand, they yell that I'm going to attack them.

"Imagine living in such negative surroundings on a daily basis."

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The man also said some service users have self-harmed because they are feeling so low.

Read more: All the latest news from Folkestone

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