There has been major disruption at the Port of Dover due to a large group of masked men holding a demonstration. Hundreds of protesters, dressed in black and wearing face coverings, blocked roads and were heard chanting “stop the boats”.
Kent Police said it had been “engaging with protesters” and marched the crowd to Dover Priory railway station at about 11:30 BST. After that, people started to disperse.
Traffic was initially stopped from going in and out of the port but officials said approach roads were now “free flowing”.
Paul King, Reform UK councillor for Dover West, said he had been told it was a “stop the boats protest”.
A government spokesperson said they condemned “the behaviour in Dover and the travel disruption it has caused”.
Demonstrators told the BBC they did not want to talk to the media, although one said “send them back” and another said “stop the boats” when approached.
Dover and Deal MP Mike Tapp said the incident, which started at about 07:00, caused “absolutely awful disruption” for residents.
“My understanding is a number of individuals have travelled to the area, wearing black, wearing balaclavas, and have blocked a number of roads leading into the port area,” he said.
Tapp added on Facebook: “I am fed up with idiots coming to Dover to cause disruption.
“I bet if you asked any one of those ‘protesters’ they wouldn’t know small boat crossing are down by 40% and we are working hard to fix the mess.”
Kent Police has not yet commented on who was behind the protest.
P&O said it would get passengers on to the next available sailing if they had missed their scheduled crossing, as did ferry operator DFDS.
The Port of Dover said operations had returned to normal and routes in and out of the town had all reopened.
“We thank our customers and local community for their patience whilst the police managed the public order incident,” it said.
Remco van Schellen arrived from the Netherlands at about 08:00 but when “we wanted to leave the ferry terminal with the car, we couldn’t go any further”.
“There were people blocking the roads, the roundabout, just outside of the ferry terminal in Dover,” he said.
“There were people in black clothing, their faces masked, so we couldn’t see who they were.”
Lania Tkaczyk, from Cheshire, saw men dressed in black outside her hotel in Dover.
She said she was unable to leave on time to see her two children take part in a Channel swimming relay at nearby Folkestone.
“It was quite intimidating seeing the men head-to-toe in black,” she said.
“Because of the protest I’ve been delayed but I hope to get to Folkstone to see my children soon.”
Demonstrations against immigration are common in Dover, as it is the location where migrants picked up from small boats in the English Channel are brought to shore.
They are typically advertised in advance, however, and Saturday’s protest was on a larger scale.
Chris Vinson, leader of the Conservative group on Dover District Council, said: “Overnight, clearly what appears to be several hundred masked men, wearing black clothing and balaclavas, seem to have co-ordinated and loaded into rental vans and then descended on roads leading in and out of Dover.”
He said the protest appeared to be “illegal migration-related” but added that demonstrators did not appear to have placards or banners.
People who worked night shifts at the port were “prevented from leaving for fears for their safety,” Vinson added.
The full government statement read: “The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but we condemn the behaviour in Dover and the travel disruption it has caused.
“We appreciate the frustration of those who have been impacted today. Access to the port is now restored and traffic is flowing. Those travelling to the port are advised to allow for extra travel time and to follow guidance from providers.
“We thank policing partners and travel providers who we continue to work with to ensure the safety of passengers and the wider community.”
Dover is the UK’s busiest international ferry and passenger port, dealing with more than nine million passengers by road and two million freight vehicles in 2025, according to the port’s website.
By BBC News
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