Hundreds of masked anti-immigration protesters brought roads around the Port of Dover to a standstill before organisers warned the demonstration was “only the beginning”, as police face mounting questions over how authorities were caught off guard by the coordinated action.
Around 300 protesters, with some estimates putting the number significantly higher, descended on roads leading to Britain’s busiest international ferry port on Saturday morning, September 5.
Many were dressed entirely in black and wearing balaclavas as they linked arms across roads, preventing vehicles from accessing parts of the port and causing lengthy traffic queues.
Footage showed demonstrators chanting “stop the boats” and “whose streets? our streets” as police officers followed the crowd through Dover.
The protest ended by around midday without any arrests, according to Kent Police.
But the force’s description of what happened as a “spontaneous protest” has come under scrutiny from local politicians who say the scale and organisation of the demonstration suggested otherwise.
Labour MP for Dover and Deal Mike Tapp said the police appeared to have received little advance warning and questioned whether intelligence about the demonstration had been missed.
He said: “I will be looking urgently to ask questions around why we didn’t know about this, because we do tend to know when protests are coming to the area.
“They tend to be peaceful and laws aren’t broken and obviously the police have the resources to manage that.
“But in this instance, it would appear the police didn’t know about it and the resources were pretty thin on the ground from what I saw.”
Tapp later said the demonstration was “clearly organised” and directly challenged Kent Police’s description of it as spontaneous.
He said questions needed to be asked about whether police intelligence had failed to identify what was being planned and whether additional officers could be deployed more rapidly if Dover was targeted again.
Dover District Council leader Kevin Mills also criticised the response, describing the protest as “exceptionally well organised”.
He said authorities appeared to have been caught by surprise.
Mills said police “appeared to be quite slow to keep the roads and the networks open”, adding: “The protesters knew what they were doing, I’m not sure the police did know what was going to happen.”
He acknowledged that police resources were stretched but said there needed to be a review of what had happened.
“All in all it was a pretty traumatic day for a lot of people travelling, trying to get around their business,” he said.
Kent Police has defended its response.
In a statement issued after the demonstration, the force said: “Kent Police responded to a spontaneous protest in Dover during the morning of Saturday 5 September.
“No arrests were made. Traffic is flowing normally, and all involved had dispersed by midday.”
The protest caused disruption on roads serving the strategically important port, with some ferry passengers delayed.
The Port of Dover is the UK’s busiest international ferry terminal and a crucial gateway for freight travelling between Britain and continental Europe.
The demonstration was focused on opposition to small-boat migration, although there were no small-boat arrivals in Dover during the blockade.
Instead, ordinary motorists, port workers, freight traffic and ferry passengers were caught in the disruption.
Attention has also turned to the group linked to organising the demonstration and comments suggesting similar action could follow.
Patriot Platform is a recently established anti-immigration organisation founded by Daniel Thomas, better known online as Danny Tommo.
Thomas has previously been associated with far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, although Thomas has rejected descriptions of himself and his movement as far-right and says the group is non-violent.
Footage from Saturday showed protesters arriving together, while local politicians described the action as coordinated.
Chris Vinson, leader of the Conservative group on Dover District Council, said several hundred masked men appeared to have travelled into the town after assembling in rental vans.
One masked protester filmed during the demonstration issued a stark warning about what supporters believed could follow.
He described the scenes in Dover as the “tip of the iceberg”.
Thomas subsequently went further in messages posted to his supporters after the demonstration.
Sharing footage of the protesters on Instagram, he wrote: “It’s time! Protect our country! And more importantly our women and children! This is our warning!”
He later praised those who had taken part.
“Well done, lads and lasses,” he wrote.
“You stuck to the plan and maintained complete discipline. I’m so proud of all of you! You all understood how important this was. And this is only the beginning.”
Thomas later claimed protesters had achieved their objective and suggested further action could be more significant.
“A message was sent!” he wrote. “Now imagine how powerful the next message will be.”
The comments have added to questions over whether police forces could face similar coordinated demonstrations elsewhere.
Saturday’s protesters initially linked arms and leaders could be heard insisting they were not there to attack officers.
“We are not here for violence, we are not here to attack the police,” one organiser told the crowd. “Stand in defiance.”
The demonstration nevertheless attracted condemnation from politicians across the political spectrum because of the disruption and the decision of many participants to conceal their identities.
The Government said the right to peaceful protest was fundamental but condemned what happened in Dover and the disruption caused to travellers.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said peaceful protest was an “essential part of British life” but criticised demonstrators for dressing in intimidating clothing and disrupting other people’s lives.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who has made reducing immigration and stopping small-boat crossings central to his political platform, also criticised the tactics.
He said people wearing balaclavas should not be permitted to disrupt the lives of members of the public.
The police response is now likely to receive further scrutiny because of the apparent planning behind the demonstration.
Tapp has said he wants to establish why authorities had so little warning and whether more officers could be mobilised if similar action is planned.
The issue has taken on added significance following further disorder on the south coast less than 48 hours later.
On Sunday evening, hundreds of protesters gathered in Portsmouth after a small boat carrying around 140 people was intercepted following an unusually far-west Channel crossing.
Protesters blocked roads and attempted to prevent coaches carrying those brought ashore from leaving the Eastney area.
Public-order officers were drafted in from forces outside Hampshire, including the Metropolitan Police, before the remaining demonstrators were eventually dispersed during the early hours of Monday.
The coaches were then able to leave under a large police escort.
Thomas was again present and livestreamed events from Portsmouth.
The two incidents have intensified questions over how quickly anti-immigration groups can mobilise supporters and whether police have sufficient intelligence and resources to anticipate further coordinated action.
For Kent Police, attention remains focused on why Saturday’s demonstration was described as spontaneous when organisers subsequently publicly praised protesters for having “stuck to the plan”.
With Thomas telling supporters Dover was “only the beginning”, police forces now face pressure to ensure they are prepared if further attempts are made to blockade ports, roads or other critical infrastructure.