Hundreds of masked protesters dressed in black brought traffic around the Port of Dover to a standstill on Saturday, blocking routes to Britain’s busiest ferry terminal and causing miles of congestion.
The demonstration, understood to have been focused on illegal migration and the Government’s handling of Channel crossings, disrupted passengers, freight drivers and local residents. Protesters were seen linking arms across the A20 and chanting “stop the boats”.
National Highways said the blockade stopped traffic on all routes to the port, creating a queue of about four miles and delays of up to 30 minutes.
The Home Office condemned the disruption, saying that while peaceful protest was a fundamental democratic right, the behaviour in Dover had gone beyond that and had caused unacceptable travel disruption.
Mike Tapp, the Labour MP for Dover and Deal, said he was “fed up with idiots coming to Dover to cause disruption” and criticised the decision to cover faces with balaclavas.
“I’m all for our freedoms to protest, but when you’re blocking roads, firstly you’re causing disruption that’s not fair on residents,” Mr Tapp told the Press Association. He said the face coverings appeared designed either to intimidate people or to conceal the protesters’ identities.
Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s treasury spokesman, also described the blockade as “completely disgraceful”, saying businesses and individuals should not have their lives held up by protesters.
Chris Vinson, leader of the Conservative group on Dover District Council, said the gathering appeared to be linked to illegal migration. He said there had been no reports of violence, but described the sight of masked men in black blocking the road as “extremely intimidating”.
Kent Police said officers had responded to what it described as a spontaneous protest. No arrests were made and the force said everyone involved had dispersed by midday.
The Port of Dover said the incident had been treated as a public order matter. By lunchtime, all routes into and out of the port and the town had reopened, with traffic moving freely.
Ferry operators including P&O Ferries and DFDS said passengers who missed sailings because of the blockade would be offered places on the next available departures.
