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Dover port blockade
Hundreds of masked anti-immigration protesters dressed in black blocked roads leading to the Port of Dover in Kent on Saturday morning, stopping traffic in and out of the port and disrupting ferry services.
“all traffic in and out was “stopped due to an ongoing public order incident,””
The Port of Dover said Saturday morning that all traffic in and out was “stopped due to an ongoing public order incident,” while Kent Police said they were “engaging with the protesters.”
National Highways reported four miles of congestion and delays of up to 30 minutes as demonstrators linked arms across the A20 and chanted “stop the boats.”
By midday, the protesters had dispersed and the Port of Dover said access roads were “free flowing,” with P&O Ferries saying access to the port had been restored and passengers would be offered the next available crossing.
Condemnation and intimidation
Dover MP Mike Tapp said he believed the activists who covered their faces were either trying to intimidate people or may have had “something to hide,” and he criticized the police response.
Tapp told the Press Association: “I’m all for our freedoms to protest, but when you’re blocking roads, firstly you’re causing disruption that’s not fair on residents, so it’s against the law.”
Passengers and locals described the scene as threatening, with one traveller telling the Press Association: “We saw all these men dressed in black and covering their faces like some paramilitary group.”
The UK government condemned the action as going beyond peaceful protest, and the Labour government said “the right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but we condemn the behaviour in Dover and the travel disruption it has caused.”
Who claimed it, what next
Responsibility for the blockade appeared to have been claimed by Patriot Platform, with far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who uses the name Tommy Robinson, writing on X that “patriots have mobilised to close down the port.”
““patriots have mobilised to close down the port.””
Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo, posted on social media “This is our warning,” and the Manchester Evening News reported that he shared footage and said “this is our warning.”
The Telegraph reported an estimated 300-500 people dressed in black and wearing masks, and said Mike Tapp would be “urgently asking on Monday why we didn’t know about this” after the demonstration appeared to catch police off guard.
Kent Police said the protests ended by midday with no arrests made, while the Port of Dover said access roads were “free flowing” and ferry operators pledged to put those delayed “on to the next available sailings.”