UK gov’t condemns masked anti-immigrant protesters blocking Dover port

'Stop the boats' masked protesters block England's Port of Dover

Dozens of masked people protesting Channel migrant crossings have blocked access to the port of Dover, briefly halting ferry traffic between England and France.

Images shared online showed dozens of demonstrators dressed in black and wearing balaclavas streaming onto roads surrounding the port in the United Kingdom on Saturday.

In an online livestream that appeared to be shot by one of the protesters, a crowd of black-clothed men chanted “stop the boats” as they faced a line of police.

The UK government condemned the action, saying it went beyond peaceful protest.

On Saturday morning, the Port of Dover said all traffic in and out was “stopped due to an ongoing public order incident”. At around noon, port managers said traffic was “free flowing” once again. P&O Ferries also confirmed that access to the port had been restored.

Local police said they were “engaging” with protesters, who had initially blocked “all routes” in and out of the terminal, used by ferries connecting southern England to northern France.

The National Highways agency said the protest blocked roads to the port and caused a 6.4km traffic jam on Saturday morning.