Dover council leader says police slow to respond to port protest

September 6, 2026 at 02:53 PM1 min

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Dover District Council leader Kevin Mills said police were slow to respond to a protest that halted Port of Dover traffic for hours on Saturday. Kent Police made no arrests and described the demonstration as spontaneous. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds condemned the protest as intimidatory behaviour.

Key Facts

Kevin Mills, leader of Dover District Council, said police were slow to keep roads and networks open during the protest.
Kent Police made no arrests and described the demonstration as a spontaneous protest.
The protest lasted from 07:00 BST to about 11:30 on Saturday.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds condemned the protest as intimidatory behaviour.
Anti-hate organisation Hope Not Hate claimed the Patriot Platform network arranged the protest.

Police Response

Kevin Mills told the BBC that demonstrators caught several agencies on the hoof when they arrived on Saturday. He said the force appeared to be quite slow to keep the roads and the networks open, which is disappointing. Kent Police said on Saturday that officers made no arrests and described it as a spontaneous protest. Cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds said officers did deal with it swiftly.

Protest Details

Hundreds of masked men blocked roads and prevented access to the Port of Dover. The protest lasted from 07:00 BST to about 11:30. Demonstrators chanted stop the boats and send them back when approached by the BBC. Far-right activists Tommy Robinson and Danny Thomas both posted about the protest on X, praising those involved.

Political Reaction

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds condemned the protest as intimidatory behaviour. He said peaceful protest is an essential part of British life but that is not what we saw there. Reynolds said Robinson and others like him were not interested in solving genuine problems this country has. Anti-hate organisation Hope Not Hate claimed the Patriot Platform network arranged the protest.