Dover port traffic resumes after anti-migrant protest

Traffic at the Port of Dover in southern England was flowing again around noon on Saturday after hundreds of masked anti-migrant protesters blocked roads to the terminal, briefly halting ferry traffic between Britain and France.

The Port of Dover said roads had been “stopped” on Saturday morning before later saying traffic was “free flowing”. Local police said the protest, which initially blocked all routes in and out of the terminal, had been dispersed and that no arrests had been made.

Images shared online showed hundreds of people dressed in black and wearing balaclavas on roads around the port. In an online livestream that appeared to be filmed by one of the protesters, black-clothed men chanted “stop the boats” while facing a police line.

A passenger affected by the disruption told Sky News they were stuck on a boat in Dunkirk for more than 90 minutes. There were no reports of violence.

A government spokesperson condemned the protest, while a Reform UK MP called the disruption disgraceful. Several local politicians described the balaclava-clad protest as intimidating. Tommy Robinson backed the protest, saying it was a warning to the establishment.

Britain has been trying to curb small-boat crossings by migrants and asylum seekers across the Channel. The Labour government has said crossings this summer were the lowest since 2019, partly because of cooperation with France.

The Port of Dover connects southern England with northern France. It says it handles more than 10,000 freight vehicles and 15,000 passenger vehicles a day during summer months and is responsible for a third of Britain’s goods trade with the EU.