Dover council leader condemns police inaction as far-right protest blocks port
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Council leader Kevin Mills sharply criticised police for their sluggish response to a coordinated far-right protest that blocked the Port of Dover, while a government minister downplayed concerns by insisting officers acted quickly.
Council leader Kevin Mills denounced the police for their slow and inadequate response to a far-right protest that brought the Port of Dover to a standstill on Saturday. Speaking to the BBC, Mills highlighted how the demonstrators 'caught several agencies on the hoof,' exposing the lack of preparedness among authorities. He noted that police were 'quite slow to keep the roads and the networks open, which is disappointing,' especially given the protest's clear planning and intent to disrupt. Mills called for a thorough post-event review to address these failures.
Hundreds of masked men, emboldened by anti-migrant rhetoric and chanting 'stop the boats,' blocked access roads, causing massive traffic jams and preventing entry to the port. Kent Police, who astonishingly made no arrests and described the event as a 'spontaneous protest,' have refused to comment on the organisers' identities. The protest, which lasted from about 07:00 to 11:30 BST, was a clear display of coordinated far-right action.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, attempting to downplay the severity, claimed on BBC radio that officers acted swiftly, but was forced to condemn the 'intimidatory behaviour' of the protesters. He offered sympathy for residents and travellers caught in the chaos, but his remarks failed to address the underlying threat posed by such extremist actions.
The anti-hate group Hope Not Hate identified the demonstration as orchestrated by the Patriot Platform network, a coalition of anti-migration activists from across the country. Many demonstrators refused to speak to the media, while notorious far-right figures like Tommy Robinson and Danny Thomas celebrated the protest online, further emboldening hate-fuelled movements.
Council officials also reported complaints from Preston residents, where vehicles associated with the protest clogged local streets before the march descended on the town, highlighting the wider community impact of unchecked far-right mobilisation.