A senior council official in Dover has criticized the police for a delayed response to a large-scale protest that paralyzed the Port of Dover for several hours on Saturday. Kevin Mills, who leads Dover District Council, described the demonstration as “exceptionally well organised” and argued that authorities were caught off guard when the demonstrators arrived.
Hundreds of men, many wearing masks, blocked access roads and prevented vehicles from reaching the port, resulting in significant traffic congestion across the region. While Kent Police have not yet commented on the operational specifics, local cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds defended the force, stating that officers responded swiftly.
Mills expressed disappointment that the police appeared slow to reopen roads and transport networks. He suggested that the organizers had a clear plan, whereas emergency services may not have fully anticipated the scale of the disruption. However, he acknowledged that Kent Police are currently dealing with stretched resources.
The incident has drawn sharp condemnation from national politicians. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told the BBC that while peaceful protest is a fundamental British right, the behavior witnessed in Dover was intimidatory rather than lawful. He expressed sympathy for travelers and local residents affected by the day’s disruptions.
Anti-hate group Hope Not Hate claimed that the Patriot Platform network, which has been meeting since July, coordinated the action by uniting anti-migrant activists from across the country. Far-right figures Tommy Robinson and Danny Thomas publicly praised the protest on social media, with Thomas highlighting the discipline of the participants.
Rupert Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth and leader of Restore Britain, said his party supports those protesting against illegal immigration, though he noted that wearing balaclavas was undesirable. Kent Police confirmed that no arrests were made during the demonstration, which ran from approximately 07:00 to 11:30 BST, and characterized the event as spontaneous.
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