londonAssociated Press —
On Saturday, a group of masked men blocked a road leading to Britain’s busiest ferry port in what officials said was an anti-immigration protest.
The Port of Dover said: “All traffic in and out of the port has stopped due to an ongoing public order incident” and police were “engaging with protesters”.
Videos posted on social media showed dozens of men in black, their faces hidden, standing across a main road near the port. One video showed protesters crossing a highway, arms linked and chanting “stop the boats”.
Conservative local councilor Chris Vinson said the protests appeared to be “related to illegal immigration”.
“I’m not aware of any violence, but it’s clear that it’s extremely intimidating to have your car blocked by men in black militia fatigues and balaclavas,” he said.
The National Highways Agency said the protests blocked the route to the port, causing a 4-mile (6.4 km) traffic jam on Saturday morning. The Port of Dover announced that one of the roads leading to the port had been reopened by early morning.
P&O Ferries, which operates between Dover and Calais in France, said passengers who missed their ferry would be offered the next available crossing point.
The Port of Dover, located about 70 miles (110 kilometers) southeast of London, handled more than 9 million passengers and 2 million cargo vehicles in 2025, according to its website.
The town has previously been the site of anti-immigration protests centered on migrants who crossed the Channel from France in small boats. Some politicians, including Nigel Farage of the far-right party Reform UK, have focused on the issue. In a speech on Friday, he branded asylum seekers an “invasion”.
The Labor government says increased law enforcement co-operation between Britain and France has resulted in more than 40% fewer people crossing this year compared to 2025.
Mike Tapp, the Labor MP who represents Dover in Parliament, criticized the “stupid people who come to Dover to cause chaos”.
“If you asked any of those ‘protesters,’ they wouldn’t know that small boat traffic is down 40%. We are working hard to resolve this mess,” he wrote on Facebook on Saturday. “Go home and enjoy your weekend/Find a job.”
