Masked protesters disrupt traffic at Dover ferry terminal

Hundreds of masked demonstrators gathered at England's busiest international ferry port, Dover, on Saturday, temporarily stopping vehicle traffic and halting ferry services to France. The participants wore balaclavas and chanted a slogan urging an end to migrant boat crossings. Police said they were engaging with the protesters and that normal traffic resumed after several hours of disruption. A government spokesperson 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." The protest coincided with a reported 40% decline in channel crossings between January and August 2026 compared with the previous year, a reduction attributed by officials to increased cooperation with French authorities. Dover handles around 15,000 passengers daily in summer and processes more than a third of the United Kingdom's trade with the European Union.