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Masked men block roads to UK’s Dover port in anti-immigration protest as police response draws criticism

From Times of India · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Hundreds of masked protesters blocked access roads to the Port of Dover for several hours during an anti-immigration demonstration.
  • The blockade created a traffic jam of about four miles, while Dover’s council leader criticised what he called a slow police response.
  • Police made no arrests and have not confirmed who organised the protest, which came amid a wider political dispute over Channel crossings.

Hundreds of masked men brought traffic around the Port of Dover to a standstill on Saturday, linking arms across roads and chanting “stop the boats”. The anti-immigration protest began at about 7 a.m. and continued until roughly 11:30 a.m.

stop the boats

· ProtestersThe demonstrators chanted the slogan during the blockade of roads leading to Dover port.

The Port of Dover said traffic entering and leaving the port had stopped because of an ongoing “public order incident”. National Highways reported a traffic jam of about four miles, disrupting passengers and freight traffic at one of Britain’s busiest ferry ports.

Kevin Mills, leader of Dover District Council, criticised the police response. He called the protest “exceptionally well organised” and said demonstrators had “caught several agencies on the hoof”. “The protesters knew what they were doing, I’m not sure the police did know what was going to happen,” Mills told the BBC, while acknowledging that police resources were stretched.

exceptionally well organised

· Kevin MillsThe Dover council leader described the protest.

Kent Police described the gathering as a “spontaneous protest” and said officers were engaging with demonstrators. No arrests were made. The council also received complaints from residents in nearby Preston, where protesters allegedly left their vehicles before travelling to Dover. Conservative councillor Chris Vinson said the men appeared to have arrived in rental vans.

caught several agencies on the hoof

· Kevin MillsHe criticised authorities for appearing unprepared for the demonstration.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said peaceful protest was an essential part of British life, but called the “intimidatory behaviour” in Dover unacceptable. Hope Not Hate said the Patriot Platform network organised the demonstration, although police have not confirmed who was behind it. Far-right activists Tommy Robinson and Danny Thomas praised the protesters online, while Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe backed people “peacefully protesting against illegal immigration” but criticised their use of balaclavas.

The protesters knew what they were doing, I’m not sure the police did know what was going to happen

· Kevin MillsHe assessed the demonstrators’ preparation and the police response.
About this summary

Originally published by Times of India in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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