A large group of people dressed in black and wearing balaclavas have blocked the road at the port of Dover in Kent, forcing closures in both directions.
Kent police said they were aware of the protest, which was described as a “public order incident” by the Port of Dover. Officers were in attendance and engaging with protesters, they said.
Traffic in and out of the port on the A۲۰ has been stopped, according to National Highways, causing delays of up to ۳۰ minutes and four miles of congestion.
Videos and pictures shared online show masked people in black standing on the road in a large group as lorries wait in traffic next to police cars.
Some have estimated that about ۳۰۰ people have gathered, although this has not been confirmed by police.
The Port of Dover confirmed in a statement that the disruption was affecting “all routes” in and out, as well as around the town, and that it was in touch with the police.
It said: “The Port of Dover can confirm that there is an ongoing public order incident happening around the town of Dover. This situation is impacting our local community and our customers, so of course we are hoping for a swift resolution.”
Nathan Ditchburn, who was on his way to work when he saw the group arrive at about ۶.۴۵am, told KentOnline: “I would say there are around ۳۰۰ men, maybe more. Nobody will speak; they just handed me a piece of paper to look at. They have blocked off every entrance and exit of the Dover port area, and Jubilee Way is blocked as well. It will be causing huge delays for the ferries today.”
The far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, reposted a video of the blockade, highlighting a livestream of the protest.
The local Parkrun group cancelled its Dover Waterfront run, telling runners the course was unsafe or blocked. A spokesperson told KentOnline: “I am afraid we are going to cancel this morning. We have mass disruption with some protesters.”
Mike Tapp, the Labour MP for Dover and Deal, criticised what he described as “idiots coming to Dover to cause disruption”. In a post on Facebook, he said: “Parkrun cancelled and port access disrupted. 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 crossings are down by ۴۰% and we are working hard to fix the mess. Go home, enjoy your weekend/get a job.”
A local Reform councillor, Paul King, told residents to avoid the port area. He said: “I’ve been told it’s a stop the boats protest. Speaking to local women, they felt frightened by such a large group of men walking up the street. We don’t condone causing public disturbance by protest. But it’s a very good example of what is happening daily with the boats coming in.”
The shipping company DFDS said: “We are aware of the current traffic disruption affecting access to the port. Rest assured we will accommodate you on to the next departure once you arrive.”
P+O Ferries said its sailings were still going ahead as scheduled, adding that those who missed their departure would be offered the next available crossing.
