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UK government condemns masked anti-immigration protesters who blocked Dover port

From Al Jazeera · () English

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

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Dozens of masked protesters blocked roads around Dover port, briefly stopping ferry traffic between England and France and causing a 6.4-kilometre traffic jam.
  • The UK government condemned the action as going beyond peaceful protest, while police said they engaged with demonstrators and traffic later resumed.
  • The protest took place amid political disputes over small-boat migrant crossings, an issue that has boosted support for the anti-immigration Reform UK party.

Ferry traffic through Dover, Britain’s largest international port, stopped briefly on Saturday after dozens of masked “stop the boats” protesters blocked roads leading to the terminal. Demonstrators dressed in black and wearing balaclavas gathered around access routes used by ferries between southern England and northern France.

stop the boats

· ProtestersThe chant was heard during the demonstration against Channel migrant crossings.

An online livestream appeared to show protesters chanting “stop the boats” while facing police. The Port of Dover said all traffic in and out had been stopped because of an ongoing public order incident. By around midday, port managers said traffic was flowing freely again, and P&O Ferries confirmed that access had been restored.

Local police said protesters had initially blocked every route in and out of the terminal and that officers were engaging with them. National Highways said the disruption created a 6.4-kilometre queue. Conservative councillor Chris Vinson described the protest as apparently related to illegal migration and said that, although he knew of no violence, men in black paramilitary-style clothing and balaclavas blocking vehicles were “extremely intimidating.”

illegal migration-related

· Chris VinsonThe local Conservative councillor characterized the protest.

The Labour government said peaceful protest remained fundamental to democracy but condemned the behavior in Dover and the travel disruption. The demonstrations came as Britain continues to debate how to curb small-boat crossings that bring migrants and asylum seekers to southeast England. The government says crossings were at their lowest summer level since 2019, partly because of cooperation with France.

extremely intimidating

· Chris VinsonHe described the effect of masked protesters blocking vehicles.

Dover handles more than 10,000 freight vehicles and 15,000 passenger vehicles daily during summer, accounting for about a third of Britain’s goods trade with the European Union. The disruption also highlighted the political pressure surrounding migration, which has helped drive support for the hard-right Reform UK party.

The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but we condemn the behaviour in Dover and the travel disruption it has caused.

· UK governmentThe Labour government condemned the disruption while acknowledging the right to protest.
About this summary

Originally published by Al Jazeera 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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