Black-clad
protesters in balaclavas block road at port of Dover in Kent
Port
authorities say access roads ‘free flowing’ again after large group forces road
closures in both directions
Donna
Ferguson and Priya Bharadia and agencies
Sat 5 Sep
2026 13.20 BST
Dozens of
people dressed in black and wearing balaclavas blocked the road at the port of
Dover in Kent, forcing closures in both directions on Saturday morning.
Kent
police said they were were in attendance and engaging with the protest, which
the Port of Dover described as a “public order incident”. No arrests were made
during the incident. Responsibility for the demonstration appears to have been
claimed by an anti-immigration group with links to the far right.
The
behaviour of the participants and the travel disruption they have caused has
been condemned by the government. Traffic in and out of the port on the A20 was
stopped, causing delays of up to 30 minutes and four miles of congestion,
according to National Highways.
Videos
and pictures shared online showed a large number of masked people in black
marching on the road in a large group as lorries waited in traffic next to
police cars.
By
Saturday lunchtime, the protesters had dispersed and access roads to the port
were “free flowing”, according to the Port of Dover. Ferry operators pledged to
put those who had been delayed by the disruption on to the next available
sailings.
The
number of people involved was not yet clear. One of those livestreaming the
event estimated he was marching alongside hundreds of people. The Press
Association reported that there were dozens in attendance but police have not
given an official estimate.
Videos
circulating on social media showed demonstrators linking arms in a blockade
across the A20 and shouting “stop the boats”. They could be seen marching along
the A road, chanting: “England till I die.”
A group
called Patriot Platform, which styles itself as having “a fierce love for our
homeland”, appeared to claim responsibility for the blockade on social media.
The
far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon,
reposted multiple videos of the blockade, highlighting a live stream of the
protest that directed viewers towards Patriot Platform.
In his
post, Robinson encouraged more to join, saying “get there to support them”.
In
another post, he wrote: “Simultaneously at different locations across Dover
patriots have mobilised to close down the port. There are 3 plus locations that
patriots have shut down so far with many more planned to be closed. People
wanted action I’m guessing there are 100,000’s of men willing to fill their
shoes.”
The
founder of Patriot Platform, Danny Thomas, also known as Danny Tommo, wrote on
social media “live Dover somethings [sic] happening” and posted a live stream.
In a
video posted on 2 September, he told his followers he was meeting with “a huge
group [of] top, proper patriots” to prepare for a message he was planning to
send to the government.
“Very,
very soon, we are going to send a message that will make sure they understand
that we will not go down without a fight. We will not allow our nation to be
plagued in the way that it is. And when you see it and when you feel it, I
guarantee the whole thing will change for the better. Because once the message
is sent once, imagine the sheer numbers that will be sent on the second, the
third, the fourth message.”
In
further comments, he said: “From the hills of Scotland to the fields of Wales
to the streets of Northern Ireland and to the towns and cities of England, we
are building something that’s never been built before. And when you’re part of
it and you see what’s about to go down, you will understand … we’re about to
show you what can be done when men and women of this country, who have the
blood that runs through them like their grandfathers, get off their asses and
do something about it.”
On
Saturday morning, the Port of Dover confirmed in a statement that the
disruption was affecting “all routes” in and out, as well as around the town,
and that it was in touch with the police.
It said:
“The Port of Dover can confirm that there is an ongoing public order incident
happening around the town of Dover. This situation is impacting our local
community and our customers, so of course we are hoping for a swift
resolution.”
Nathan
Ditchburn, who was on his way to work when he saw the group arrive at about
6.45am, told KentOnline: “I would say there are around 300 men, maybe more.
Nobody will speak; they just handed me a piece of paper to look at. They have
blocked off every entrance and exit of the Dover port area, and Jubilee Way is
blocked as well. It will be causing huge delays for the ferries today.”
The local
parkrun group cancelled its Dover Waterfront run, telling runners the course
was unsafe or blocked. A spokesperson told KentOnline: “I am afraid we are
going to cancel this morning. We have mass disruption with some protesters.”
Mike
Tapp, the Labour MP for Dover and Deal, criticised what he described as “idiots
coming to Dover to cause disruption”. In a post on Facebook, he said: “Parkrun
cancelled and port access disrupted. I am fed up with idiots coming to Dover to
cause disruption. I bet if you asked any one of those ‘protesters’ they
wouldn’t know small boat crossings are down by 40% and we are working hard to
fix the mess. Go home, enjoy your weekend/get a job.”
Chris
Vinson, the leader of the Conservative group on Dover district council, said
the protest appeared to be “illegal migration-related”, but said the
demonstrators did not appear to have placards or banners.
“I’m not
aware that there’s been any violence, although clearly, having the path of your
vehicle blocked by men wearing black paramilitary gear and balaclavas is
extremely intimidating, especially when it’s not clear why they’re there, and
the police weren’t aware and so haven’t been able to warn people in advance and
make sure that they are made to feel safe,” he said.
“I know
people who have worked night shifts in the port who are being prevented from
leaving for fears for their safety.”
A local
Reform UK councillor, Paul King, told residents to avoid the port area. “I’ve
been told it’s a stop the boats protest.” he said.
A Home
Office spokesperson said: “The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our
democracy, but we condemn the behaviour in Dover and the travel disruption it
has caused. We appreciate the frustration of those who have been impacted
today. Access to the port is now restored and traffic is flowing. Those
travelling to the Port are advised to allow for extra travel time and to follow
guidance from providers.
“We thank
policing partners and travel providers who we continue to work with to ensure
the safety of passengers and the wider community.”
The
shipping company DFDS said: “We are aware of the current traffic disruption
affecting access to the port. Rest assured we will accommodate you on to the
next departure once you arrive.”
P&O
Ferries said its sailings were still going ahead as scheduled, adding that
those who missed their departure would be offered the next available crossing.
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