At UK's Largest Ferry Port, 'Stop the Boats!'

Dozens of masked anti-immigration protesters blocked roads leading to Britain's busiest ferry port on Saturday, clogging traffic and disrupting travelers and cargo vehicles heading for France. The UK government condemned the action, saying it went beyond peaceful protest, per the AP. The Port of Dover said on Saturday morning that all traffic in and out was "stopped due to an ongoing public order incident," and that police said they were "engaging with the protesters." Video posted on social media showed several dozen men in black, their faces covered, standing across a major road near the port. One clip showed demonstrators linking arms across a main road and shouting, "Stop the boats!"

Chris Vinson, a Conservative Party local councilor, 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 Party government said "the right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but we condemn the behavior in Dover and the travel disruption it has caused." "We appreciate the frustration of those who have been impacted today," it said in a statement.

The National Highways agency said the protest blocked all routes to the port and caused a 4-mile traffic jam. Police were later filmed following protesters towards Dover's railway station. P&O Ferries said just before midday that "access to the Port of Dover has now been restored." P&O, which runs services between Dover and France's Calais, said passengers who missed their ferry would be offered the next available crossing.

The town has been the site of previous anti-immigrant protests focused on migrants who cross the English Channel from France in small boats. Successive UK governments have struggled to stop people—more than 40,000 last year—from making the dangerous journey across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. The issue has been depicted as a crisis by politicians including Nigel Farage of hard-right party Reform UK, who branded asylum-seekers "an invasion" in a Friday speech. Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government says stepped-up law enforcement cooperation between Britain and France has helped reduce the number of people making the crossing so far this year by more than 40% compared to 2025.