DOZENS of people gathered in the town centre in a rally aiming to show solidarity with the thousands of refugees coming into Europe.

Organised by the People’s Assembly, the group gathered at Wharf Green on Saturday before marching up Commercial Road towards Regent Circus.

Despite the brisk temperatures, many people stopped to listen to what they had to say and read the placards.

Kate Linnegar, of the Assembly, said: “We are here to show solidarity with the refugees who are fleeing from war and terror in their own countries.

“We are particularly concerned there does not seem to be a coherent plan across Europe to deal with these people.

“There is also solidarity here for the Muslim community who could become targets in a backlash following what happened in Paris.

“We believe more should be done and the UK should receive more people.”

Over the past few months people from the Swindon-Calais Solidarity group have been going to France to help the thousands stuck in France.

While the effort of many Swindon residents has been welcomed, Kate wants others calling for the closing of Europe’s borders to re-think their position.

She said: “There are a lot people in Swindon who are collecting money so we can have trips over to Calais. They are giving us clothes, blankets and food.

“Of course there are some who say there are already too many people here and we should close the borders. My answer is to firstly go a check the actual facts.

“You will see around 200,000 have come to Europe this year so far. The population of Europe is 740 million so that is 0.027 per cent.

“People say there is not enough space but there are only 6,000 people in Calais. If you put that in perspective, there are 220,000 in Swindon alone.”

“They are trying to divide us. ISIS would love it if we closed the borders to Europe because then that is us and them.

The People’s Assembly is also arguing that closing the borders would strengthen the position of the terrorists.

“It would then create the perfiect breeding ground for ISIS. If Europe says we don’t care about you and your children then what are they going to do?” said Kate.

“They can’t go home because their homes have been destroyed – by their own government in the case of Syria.

“Around 70 per cent of refugees have a legal right to claim asylum in Europe because of the conditions they have come from.”