Dover port protest blocks roads as anti-immigration demonstrators halt traffic

London,UPDATED: Sep 5, 2026 18:40 IST

Dozens of masked anti-immigration protesters blocked roads leading to the Port of Dover on Saturday, bringing traffic to a halt at Britain’s busiest ferry port and disrupting passengers and freight vehicles travelling to France. The UK government condemned the action, saying it had gone beyond peaceful protest.

The port said on Saturday morning that all traffic in and out had been “stopped due to an ongoing public order incident”, while police said they were “engaging with the protesters”. Access was later restored, but not before long queues built up and travel was affected.

Videos posted on social media showed several dozen men in black clothing, with their faces covered, standing across a major road near the port. One clip showed demonstrators linking arms across the road and shouting “stop the boats”. Chris Vinson, a Conservative Party local councillor, said the protest appeared to be “illegal migration-related”. “I’m not aware that there’s been any violence, although clearly, having the path of your vehicle blocked by men wearing black paramilitary gear and balaclavas is extremely intimidating,” he said.

The Labour government said “the right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but we condemn the behaviour in Dover and the travel disruption it has caused”. In a statement, it added: “We appreciate the frustration of those who have been impacted today.” The Highways agency said the protest blocked all routes to the port and caused a 4-mile (6.4-kilometre) traffic jam.

Police were later filmed following protesters towards Dover railway station. P&O Ferries said shortly before midday that “access to the Port of Dover has now been restored”. The operator, which runs services between Dover and Calais in France, said passengers who missed their ferry would be offered the next available crossing.

Dover, about 70 miles (110 kilometres) southeast of London, handled more than 9 million passengers and 2 million freight vehicles in 2025, according to the port’s website. The town has seen previous anti-immigrant protests linked to migrants crossing the Channel from France in small boats. More than 40,000 people made the journey last year across one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. The issue has been portrayed as a crisis by politicians including Nigel Farage of Reform UK, who described the asylum seekers as “an invasion” in a speech on Friday. The government said stronger law enforcement cooperation between Britain and France had helped cut the number of crossings so far this year by more than 40 per cent compared with 2025.

Mike Tapp, the Labour MP for Dover, criticised “idiots coming to Dover to cause disruption”. He wrote on Facebook on Saturday: “I bet if you asked any one of those protesters’ they wouldn’t know small boat crossing are down by 40 per cent and we are working hard to fix the mess. Go home, enjoy your weekend/get a job.” Overall, the protest briefly shut access to the Port of Dover, disrupted travel and cargo movement, and drew criticism from the government and local representatives.

With PTI Inputs

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