A protest involving masked men dressed in black caused significant disruption around the Port of Dover on Friday morning, with roads leading into the ferry terminal blocked for several hours and passengers temporarily prevented from leaving or reaching the port.
The incident began at about 07:00 and affected traffic around Dover, prompting a police public-order response. Dover and Deal MP Mike Tapp described the disruption as “absolutely awful” for local residents, while the Port of Dover later confirmed that normal operations had resumed and routes into and out of the town had reopened.
Tapp said his understanding was that a number of people had travelled to Dover wearing black clothing and balaclavas before blocking several roads around the port area.
“My understanding is a number of individuals have travelled to the area, wearing black, wearing balaclavas, and have blocked a number of roads leading into the port area,” he said.
The MP also expressed frustration over protests in Dover, saying he was tired of what he described as people travelling to the town specifically to cause disruption.
Protesters Reportedly Target Roads Around Port
The disruption was particularly noticeable to ferry passengers arriving in Dover during the morning. Travellers reported being unable to leave the terminal by car because protesters had blocked roads, including a roundabout outside the ferry facility.
Remco van Schellen, a ferry passenger who arrived from the Netherlands at about 08:00, said he and other travellers encountered the blockade after attempting to leave the terminal.
“When we wanted to leave the ferry terminal with the car, we couldn’t go any further,” he said.
Van Schellen said people were blocking roads and the roundabout immediately outside the ferry terminal. He described the protesters as wearing black clothing with their faces covered, making it impossible for passengers to identify them.
“There were people in black clothing, their faces masked, so we couldn’t see who they were,” he added.
The scenes also created difficulties for people attempting to enter the port to meet arriving passengers.
Rafael Pittman, a London-based tour guide, said he spent about three hours dealing with the disruption while waiting to collect a group of tourists who had arrived at Dover.
He described the situation as “absolute chaos”, saying passengers were unable to disembark normally while access to parts of the terminal was obstructed.
“Passengers didn’t disembark and we couldn’t enter the terminal as it was blocked by freight trucks,” Pittman said.
According to him, a large group of hooded protesters subsequently moved past the trucks towards the cruise terminal, with police following them.
Tourists and Residents Caught in Disruption
The protest also affected people who were not travelling through the port but had other commitments in the surrounding area.
Lania Tkaczyk, who was staying at a hotel in Dover, said she saw men dressed entirely in black outside the hotel and was unable to leave as planned to attend a Channel swimming relay involving her two children in nearby Folkestone.
She described the sight of the masked men as intimidating and said the disruption caused a delay that threatened to prevent her from reaching her children in time.
“It was quite intimidating seeing the men head-to-toe in black,” she said.
“Because of the protest I’ve been delayed but I hope to get to Folkstone to see my children soon.”
The experiences of travellers and residents reflected the wider impact of the road blockades, with access to the port temporarily complicated at a time when ferry passengers and freight traffic were moving through one of the area’s key transport hubs.
Pittman said the protesters initially appeared frightening because of their clothing and face coverings. However, he said they were “friendly-ish” when he encountered them and told him that their demonstration was focused on illegal migration.
Port Operations Return to Normal
The Port of Dover later confirmed that the disruption had been brought under control and that normal operations had resumed.
The port said all routes in and out of Dover had reopened after police dealt with what it described as a public-order incident.
“We thank our customers and local community for their patience whilst the police managed the public order incident,” the Port of Dover said.
The reopening allowed ferry traffic and other movements around the port to resume, although the earlier disruption had already affected passengers who were unable to make their scheduled journeys.
Ferry operators P&O and DFDS both said they would assist passengers who missed their scheduled crossings because of the disruption.
P&O said affected passengers would be accommodated on the next available sailing, while DFDS also indicated that passengers who missed their scheduled crossing would be moved to the next available service.
The arrangements were intended to minimise the impact on travellers caught up in the temporary blockade.
Police Yet to Identify Protest Organisers
Kent Police had not, at the time of the report, issued a statement identifying who was responsible for the protest or confirming the number of people involved.
The lack of an immediate police identification means that the claims about the identity and organisation of those behind the demonstration remain unconfirmed.
The incident nevertheless generated a strong reaction from local political representatives, particularly because Dover is a major arrival point for people and vehicles travelling between the United Kingdom and continental Europe.
Tapp criticised the protesters while also raising the issue of small-boat crossings in his comments on the demonstration.
In a Facebook post, the Dover and Deal MP said: “I am fed up with idiots coming to Dover to cause disruption.”
He also argued that the protesters may not be aware of developments concerning small-boat crossings, claiming that such crossings were down by 40% and that efforts were continuing to address the issue.
“I bet if you asked any one of those ‘protesters’ they wouldn’t know small boat crossing are down by 40% and we are working hard to fix the mess,” Tapp wrote.
His remarks placed the Dover protest within the wider political debate over illegal migration and small-boat crossings, although the immediate disruption was focused on access to the port rather than the movement of boats across the English Channel.
For passengers, however, the immediate concern was the ability to get into or out of the terminal and continue their journeys.
The incident temporarily disrupted local roads, delayed passengers and created difficulties for people travelling to meet family members or tourists. Ferry companies subsequently made arrangements for affected passengers, while the Port of Dover confirmed that the routes had reopened.
With operations now reported to be back to normal, attention is likely to remain on the police response and on establishing who organised the demonstration and whether any further action will follow.
For residents and businesses in Dover, the episode has once again highlighted how quickly disruption around the port can affect movement throughout the town, particularly when access roads and key junctions are blocked.
Masked Protesters Cause Major Disruption Around Port of Dover
