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Dover port traffic halted
Masked demonstrators blocked traffic entering and leaving the Port of Dover in Kent, with Kent Police saying they were aware of the protest and engaging with protesters as disruption continued.
“Kent Police said it was aware of a protest "currently taking place" at the ferry terminal and was "engaging with protesters"”
Traffic was stopped in both directions on the A20 between the A256 York Street and the A2 Jubilee Way in Dover, according to National Highways, which reported around four miles (6.4km) of congestion and delays of up to 30 minutes.
The Port of Dover said the incident was affecting “all routes” in and out of the port and around the town, and it said it was in contact with Kent Police to understand the situation.
P&O Ferries acknowledged the disruption and said passengers who miss their scheduled crossing because of the incident would be accommodated on the next available sailing, while DFDS said it would accommodate passengers onto the next departure once they arrived.
Officials, MPs and organizers
Kent Police confirmed in a statement on X that officers were in attendance and engaging with protesters, while the Port of Dover described the disruption as an ongoing “public order incident” affecting all routes in and out of the port and the town.
Nathan Ditchburn, who told KentOnline he saw the group arrive at about 6.45am, said: “I would say there are around 300 men, maybe more.”
Mike Tapp, the Labour MP for Dover and Deal, criticised what he described as “idiots coming to Dover to cause disruption” in a Facebook post that also said “Parkrun cancelled and port access disrupted.”
The Port of Dover said it was hoping for a swift resolution because “This situation is impacting our local community and our customers,” and it said it was working with Kent Police to understand the situation.
Travel impacts and next steps
With the A20 blocked and access restricted, ferry operators told passengers they would be moved to later sailings, including P&O Ferries saying its sailings were “still going ahead as scheduled” and offering the next available crossing to those who missed their departure.
“Traffic has been stopped from going in and out of the port.”
BBC Kent reported that traffic was stopped in both directions on the A20 between the A256 York Street and the A2 Jubilee Way in Dover, with National Highways reporting four miles (6.4km) of congestion and delays of up to 30 minutes.
The Port of Dover said the “ongoing public order incident” was affecting all routes in and out of the port and town, and it added: “This situation is impacting our local community and our customers, so of course we are hoping for a swift resolution.”
Kent Police and the port said they were engaging and in contact to understand the situation, while DFDS said it was aware of the “current traffic disruption” and would accommodate passengers on the next departure once they arrived.