Masked anti-migrant protesters disrupt traffic at key UK ferry port

Hundreds of masked protesters in black clothing blocked access to the Port of Dover on Saturday, briefly bringing ferry traffic between Britain and France to a halt.

The port said traffic had been “free flowing” again around midday, after roads approaching the terminal were “stopped” earlier in the morning. Local police said the protest had blocked “all routes” into and out of the port before officers dispersed the crowd. No arrests were reported.

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free flowing

Images shared online showed people wearing balaclavas moving along roads around the terminal, which serves ferries linking southern England with northern France. In a livestream apparently filmed by a protester, black-clad men facing a police line chanted “stop the boats.” One passenger told Sky News they had been “stuck on a boat in Dunkirk for over an hour and a half.” The passenger added: “Stop the boats? Wrong ones!”

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stop the boats

The protest centered on the small boats carrying migrants and asylum seekers across the Channel. Britain has struggled to curb the crossings, which have brought tens of thousands of migrants to southeast England each year. The issue has been repeatedly taken up by the hard right amid growing anti-immigration sentiment.

A government spokesperson condemned the protest, while a Reform UK MP called the disruption “disgraceful.” Local politicians described the balaclava-clad demonstration as “intimidating.” Far-right activist Tommy Robinson supported the protest, calling it “British patriots send(ing) a warning shot to the establishment.”

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disgraceful

The Port of Dover says it handles more than 10,000 freight vehicles and 15,000 passenger vehicles daily during summer. It is also responsible for a third of Britain’s goods trade with the European Union and is the country’s largest international ferry port.

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British patriots send(ing) a warning shot to the establishment