Hundreds of masked protesters dressed in black balaclavas blocked all roads leading to the Port of Dover in southern England on the morning of September 5, stopping ferry traffic between England and France during peak hours [1, 2, 3, 4]. The Port of Dover, the UK’s busiest international ferry port handling over 9 million passengers and 2 million freight vehicles annually as of 2025, faced complete disruption as all routes into and out of the facility were blocked [3, 5, 6].
The protest caused traffic jams stretching approximately 6.4 kilometers (4 miles) with delays extending up to 45 minutes to an hour for drivers heading to the port [3, 4, 5]. Protesters chanted "stop the boats," referring to migrant boats crossing the English Channel, expressing opposition to the refugee crossings by small vessels [1, 2, 7, 4]. Several local politicians described the protest as intimidating due to the paramilitary-style attire but noted no violence occurred. Conservative Councillor Chris Vinson said, "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" [2].
Kent Police were on scene and engaged with protesters to restore order. Traffic flow resumed around noon after police cleared the blockades and reopened the routes [1, 3, 4, 6]. The UK government condemned the protest, stating it went beyond peaceful demonstration and caused travel disruption [2, 4].
The regional Labour MP Mike Tapp pointed out that migrant crossings by small boats this summer are the lowest since 2019, partly because of cooperation with France. He remarked, "I bet if you asked any one of those ‘protesters’ they wouldn’t know small boat crossings are down by 40%" [5]. The hard-right Reform UK party has amplified anti-immigration rhetoric around the Channel crossings, further fueling public opposition [1, 4, 5].
The Port of Dover remains a key transport hub, making the protest disruptive for both passenger and freight traffic. No further protests have been announced, and normal ferry operations were expected to continue throughout the day following the police intervention [1, 6].
