Masked black-clad protesters block Port of Dover roads

newsSep 5, 2026492,393

Dozens of people dressed in black and wearing balaclavas blocked the A20 at the Port of Dover in Kent, stopping traffic in both directions as Kent police attended and engaged with the group. National Highways said the disruption caused delays of up to 30 minutes and four miles of congestion. Videos shared online show masked demonstrators linking arms across the road, marching and chanting "stop the boats" and "England till I die." The Port of Dover described the incident as a public order incident and P&O Ferries said access via the M20/A20 remained blocked while access via the M2/A2 was partly restored by 10.30am. A group calling itself Patriot Platform appeared to claim responsibility and its founder, Danny Thomas, posted a livestream; far-right activist Tommy Robinson reposted videos and urged people to join.

Lee Hurley

@hleehurley.com

As gangs of masked men block Dover port, I will just leave this here www.theguardian.com/environment/...

10204h ago

Climate News20

Double standard policing. Climate protestors trying to save our lives? Arrested before even blocking traffic. Fascists trying to burn us all down? Nothing @georgemonbiot.bsky.social @owenjones.bsky.social @davidrvetter.bsky.social

Jane 🏊‍♀️🚴🏻🏃‍♀️🌻16

From now on all my protest signs will include the words "legitimate concerns"

Paul Carnahan15

I'm sure all the 'two-tier policing' guys will have plenty to say about this...

Tony Tagliatelle6

We should all stop pretending that Andy Burnham, for all that he doesn't wear the badge and does remember Britpop, is anything but just another fascist.

Jamie Alice5

At this point, any form of climate activism is self-defence

Excalibur Discount Legal Services4

I don't think you understand. Some people were late for their daily scheduled production of goods and services. Certainly this warrants five years in prison.

Quoting this

Johnedd3

And we reckon it's only the USA that's broken

Steve Peers

@stevepeers.bsky.social

Kent police said 'no arrests were made' of the people who blocked a port and roads. There's your two-tier policing, folks www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cm...

5532h ago

ayowhose.bsky.social83

Police intel is good enough to allow pre-emptive raids on young women in Quaker meeting houses but mysteriously lacking when it comes to balaclava’d thugs blocking transport infrastructure. Funny that. 🙄 news.sky.com/story/ridicu...

Richard Barfield27

Public nuisance and conspiracy to cause public nuisance were used against protesters who blocked the M25. Presumably the same should apply here.

Ian Hamilton26

"No arrests were made". Remember that the next time Just Stop Oil protesters are hauled away in handcuffs.

Sophie Mac23

Imagine if they were climate activists! They'd have arrested 300 people at least

Paul Russell22

Also encouragement for them to do it again, now they know there will be no consequences.

thepolyorchid13

How on earth can that be the case?! Oh - right. They’re not grannies and grandads protesting peacefully. I forgot.

Quoting this

JWexTheSpa18

It is a matter of fact that had it been Just Stop Oil or Palestine Action there would have been mass arrests. Why are the British state and the UK government so scared of overweight, thick as pigshit, middle aged fascists?

Marc Morris13

What if one of them turns out to be a retired vicar?

Rouleur6

Imagine the arrests if it had been a Union on strike, JSO or Grannies for Palestine. Spineless from Kent Police. Mind, Coppers don't like fighting those they agree with & who can fight back.

Laurence - highest score ever in the Neasden Cognitive Test!!5

Because they were mostly off-duty Kent police officers?

Steve Chambers5

'Ah yes, but number is smaller number now' says Labour spokesperson sagely. They don't care about the numbers. They don't care about the boats. They just want to be menacing violent thugs and you have given permission for it.

Aurelien Mondon

@aurelmondon.com

We have reached the fascist militia stage of mainstreaming and this emboldening is a direct consequence of mainstream elite treating far-right politics as "legitimate grievance" rather than tackling them head on www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

2215h ago

Miles15

"...when it's not clear why they're there..." It's very clear why they're there: to frighten and intimidate, or to "terrorise", if you will

Lady Macbeth10

The dangerous bit isn’t just the balaclavas. It’s how quickly ‘masked men in black blocking a major port’ gets translated into ‘legitimate grievance’. That euphemism is doing a hell of a lot of work.

Jelmer Evers5

Same thing happening in the Netherlands. Dutch media is not good (putting it nicely)

David Kuhne3

‘A group called Patriot Platform, which styles itself as having “a fierce love for our homeland”’ Homeland is a Nazi word. It’s bad when Americans use it. It’s bad when cowardly masked British thugs use it

joczechowska.bsky.social3

Treat them like they would treat Just Stop Oil

Person 232

I don't often find myself sympathising with the police, but I'd imagine negotiating with people who've no actual thoughts will be immensely taxing.

Quoting this

So Mayer61

Also note the bit of this article where the Guardian simply allow the Reform spokesfascist to UNCHALLENGED make a spurious slide from "Women in town feel threatened by this group of masked fascists" to an equivalence that makes refugees responsible for both the threat AND the protest against them.

Richy Craven12

Ah yes, the famous white plaintiffs of Dover.

Where Seagulls Dare8

All I'm saying is, the kindly Vladimir Ilyich would know what to do.

Luke Parks2

Good thing they're not elderly vicars holding placards or they'd be looking at 14 years inside.

Carlton Reid

@carltonreid.com

Presumably they will all be charged with terrorism offences. Or is that just for pro-Palestinians and climate protestors? www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

805h ago

Carlton Reid32

Police are just “engaging” with Nazis? Yesterday police raided the home of 84-year-old climate protestor and retired priest Reverend Sue Parfitt. www.facebook.com/JustStopOil/...

Nick Langley4

This is Kent remember. From my experience of opposing NF marches in the 1970s, the police would have been lined up beside them, using their truncheons against the counter-protest.

Quoting this

No Sheds3

Fight age men. Roming the streets of Dover. Breaking the law. I'm sure Nige will be organising a protest against this really soon. Right Nige?

Tristan Grayford

@tristangrayford.scot

In a brief statement, Kent police said: “We are aware of a protest currently taking place at the Port of Dover. Officers are in attendance and engaging with protesters” That's what anti-genocide and climate change protesters get given the right to. Engagement. Funny how no one here says "terrorist"

674h ago

LiLBaz

@lilbazza.bsky.social

"The right to pesceful protest is fundamental to our democracy" if you're a masked man who's a member of a racist fascist paramilitary. Not so much if you're a frail older woman who peacefully objects to children being vaporised with the assistance of munitions components made on British soil

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."

302h ago

Kuntie Plopkins

@kuntieplopkins.bsky.social

Uggh imagine the amount of piss those t̶h̶u̶g̶s̶ legitimate protestors are going to leave flowing down the streets around the Port of Dover

444h ago

aoxomoxoa2

I'd rather not if you don't mind. They might refill at 'Spoons on their way back to Mordor.

Paul.2

I belive they gave up when spoons opened. 🍻🍺

Ryfford2

Patriotic protesters with, among them, a slew of convictions for violence against women, surely.

Snigdha

@snig.bsky.social

Andy Burnham took the time to share what his 3 fave London pubs were/are. But a bunch of masked racist far right activists gather to disrupt the Port of Dover and all we get is a weak statement from the government. 3 pubs: www.timeout.com/london/news/...

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The Labour Party government said “the right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but we condemn the behavior in Dover and the travel disruption it has caused."

"We appreciate the frustration of those who have been impacted today,” it said in a statement,

231h ago

Snigdha16

No arrests, nothing to see here. If you are a migrant, child of a migrant, or person of colour living in Dover, no one cares that you were probably terrified today. Not Kent police, and not the Labour party.

johnw60.bsky.social1

How is it peaceful for masked men to intimidate?

Inequality News

@inequalitynews.bsky.social

🤔 Block traffic, wear black, and cover your face with a balaclava and the Police will "engage with you" - hold up a cardboard sign protesting genocide in Gaza and you'll be arrested and forcibly removed by Police... #TwoTierPolicingIndeed www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

224h ago

Jack Wallington

@jackwallington.com

Vile and inhuman behaviour www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cm... if you believe you're doing the right thing, why cover your face like a criminal? Show us your face, tell us your name.

194h ago

Paul

@katamaridumassy.bsky.social

“When asked about the balaclava clad men causing disruption at the Port of Dover, Mr Burnham responded: ‘Here are my top 5 IPAs, in no particular order’”

185h ago

Paul Cotterill

@bickerrecord.bsky.social

Looks like a clear enough offence under section 1 of the Public Order Act 1936, given the instruction to wear black and mask up to look like paramilitaries. This is exactly what parliament had in mind back in 1936. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cm...

174h ago

Quoting this

James Vaughan6

'Blackshirt' cartoon on the uniform ban, January 1937

Miles King

@milesking.bsky.social

Kent police said "Officers reacted to a spontaneous protest". How exactly do 100 far-right demonstrators appear at the same time in the same place in the same uniform, spontaneously? www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cm...

152h ago

Iain Roberts

@slowbikeiain.bsky.social

"We let masked far-right protestors get away with an illegal blockade of the UK's busiest international port, and we'd do it again." Kent Police proudly boast. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cm...

162h ago