UK condemns masked anti-immigrant protesters who blocked Dover port

September 5, 2026 at 06:51 PM2 min

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Masked anti-immigrant protesters blocked access to the Port of Dover on Saturday, briefly halting ferry traffic between England and France. The UK government condemned the action, saying it went beyond peaceful protest. Traffic resumed by around noon after police engaged with demonstrators.

Key Facts

Dozens of masked demonstrators blocked roads to the Port of Dover on Saturday, halting ferry traffic between England and France.
The UK government condemned the protest, stating it went beyond peaceful protest and caused travel disruption.
The Port of Dover said all traffic was stopped due to a public order incident, but access was restored by around noon.
The National Highways agency reported a 6.4km traffic jam caused by the protest on Saturday morning.
Kent Police said no arrests were made and described the event as a spontaneous protest.

Protest and Disruption

Dozens of demonstrators dressed in black and wearing balaclavas streamed onto roads surrounding the Port of Dover on Saturday. The protesters chanted "stop the boats" as they faced a line of police, according to an online livestream. The Port of Dover announced that all traffic in and out was stopped due to an ongoing public order incident. The National Highways agency said the protest blocked roads to the port and caused a 6.4km traffic jam on Saturday morning. Kent Police reported that the main roads leading to the port were blocked in the morning, but access was restored by noon.

Official Response

The Labour government condemned the behaviour in Dover and the travel disruption it caused, while affirming the right to peaceful protest. Local Conservative Party councillor Chris Vinson said the protest appeared to be illegal migration-related and described the masked men as extremely intimidating. Kent Police said they were engaging with protesters who had initially blocked all routes in and out of the terminal. Reform UK county councillor Paul King stated on Facebook that a large group of men had earlier blocked the A20 road.

Migration Context

Britain is grappling with how to curb small-boat crossings, which have seen tens of thousands of migrants arriving annually on the shores of southeast England. The Labour government said the number of boats carrying migrants across the Channel this summer was the lowest since 2019, partly due to cooperation deals with France. Government data show 16,513 asylum seekers arrived via the Channel between January 1 and September 1, about 43% fewer than the same period in 2025. An August Sky News poll found that 40% of British respondents incorrectly believed that migrant boat crossings had increased this year.