Danny Thomas Mobilizes 2 Anti-Migrant Road Block Protests as Border Force Landing Sparks Portsmouth Action
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 7
Danny Thomas Mobilizes 2 Anti-Migrant Road Block Protests as Border Force Landing Sparks Portsmouth Action
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 7
Summary
Hundreds of anti-migrant protesters blocked roads in Dover on Saturday and near Portsmouth's Eastney ferry port on Sunday, with both actions organized or rapidly mobilized by activist Danny Thomas, also known as Danny Tommo.
Border Force's decision to bring a migrant boat ashore at Eastney after a longer Channel crossing from Baie de Seine put arrivals at the Hayling Island ferry point, letting Thomas quickly rally local supporters on social media.
Thomas had spent weeks preparing, launching his Patriot Platform in July and urging "mass resistance" and "discipline" in a video posted Wednesday, while saying a violent movement would lead to arrests.
The Dover protest featured masked men in black blocking main roads for hours; Kent Police called it spontaneous but now faces questions over why it had no advance warning.
Thomas, jailed for 2 years in 2016 for attempted kidnap, has long campaigned against migrants; the government condemned the Portsmouth protest as "intimidating and thuggish behaviour."