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Suspected arson attack fuels unease among Glastonbury's alternative residents

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A suspected arson attack on a caravan in Glastonbury, England, has heightened unease among the town's long-term alternative residents.
  • The incident, which caused damage to three vehicles, has exacerbated tensions between the established alternative community and some local residents.
  • The attack has prompted some long-term residents, like Jan Johnston, to consider leaving the town after decades of peaceful coexistence.

Jan Johnston, 71, was jolted awake by a massive explosion, only to find her home, a van she calls her own, rocked by what she initially thought was a bomb. Stepping outside, she was met with thick, black smoke billowing from a suspected arson attack on a nearby caravan in Glastonbury, Somerset.

I heard this massive boom. I came out and there was thick, black, billowing smoke. It was like a bomb had gone off.

— Jan JohnstonDescribing the moment she realized her home was in danger during the suspected arson attack.

The fire spread, damaging three other caravans just meters from Johnston's vehicle. The wreckage, including charred clothes, books, and tin cans, serves as a stark reminder of the incident. For years, people like Johnston have found a home in Glastonbury, a town known for its alternative and spiritual lifestyle, living alongside permanent residents in relative harmony.

However, the atmosphere has shifted. A surge in the number of people living roadside, coupled with a growing unwillingness to coexist, has created unease. The motive behind the attack remains unknown, but it has deeply unsettled the community. Johnston, who has been coming to Glastonbury for 47 years, described it as a "mellow kind of place" but now plans to leave.

I’m a bit of a pilgrim and it’s always been a mellow kind of place but I’m not staying any more. I’m packing up.

— Jan JohnstonExpressing her decision to leave Glastonbury after the incident.

"It feels like a hate crime," said John, 62, another caravan dweller, expressing fear that the fire could have been much worse. He, like others, lives in a vehicle due to a lack of affordable housing after returning from work in Europe. Hazel, another resident, shared her vulnerability and desire for a conventional home, stating, "I'd like a flat or house, even a room but they just aren't available."

It feels like a hate crime. If the wind had been blowing the other way, more vans could have gone up and people could have been killed. Horrendous.

— JohnA fellow caravan dweller expressing his fear and belief that the attack was motivated by hate.

While some permanent residents expressed sympathy, others were less understanding, with some suggesting the fire was caused by the caravan dwellers themselves. One unnamed resident stated, "if it makes them move away, then so be it." The attack has brought simmering tensions between the transient and permanent populations of Glastonbury to the surface.

I’d like a flat or house, even a room but they just aren’t available.

— HazelExplaining her preference for stable housing and the current lack of availability.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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