Passengers heading through Dover faced major disruption after masked protesters dressed in black blocked roads leading to Britain’s busiest ferry port.
The protesters linked arms across sections of the A20 while chanting anti-immigration slogans. Traffic was stopped in both directions, creating queues and delaying people attempting to reach their ferries.
The demonstration was linked to Patriot Platform and promoted online by Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. The government condemned the disruption, saying it had gone beyond the limits of peaceful protest.
Police attended the scene and spoke with those involved. The roads were eventually reopened and ferry operators said affected passengers would be moved onto later crossings.
Whatever point they hoped to make, it appears the people most immediately affected were ordinary drivers, holidaymakers and lorry drivers stuck in the resulting traffic.
Is blocking a major port an effective protest, or does inconveniencing thousands of unrelated people simply turn the public against your cause?
