Masked protesters block Port of Dover

Someone upthread mentioned that raise the flags campaign.
Is it true that the leader of that movement has just been charged by the Police with 14 offences?

The leader of a group responsible for raising union jack and St George’s flags across England has been charged with 14 offences, including racially aggravated harassment, threatening behaviour and assault.

Ryan Bridge, 45, of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, co-founded Raise the Colours, which describes itself as a “grassroots movement for unity and patriotism”.

The group’s members have been erecting union jack and St George’s flags on roundabouts, lampposts and other street furniture across England since August last year.

Thames Valley police said they had charged Bridge with 14 offences from a two-month period in Oxfordshire from 31 January 2026. He is due to appear at Oxford magistrates court on 3 November.

The offences are:
1) Seven counts of using threatening words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
2) Three counts of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of, or provoke, unlawful violence.
3) Two counts of racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress.
4) One count of racially aggravated fear of violence.
5) One count of common assault.

Not my version of 'patriotic'.

Greyfur16 - "clapping and cheering thugs "

Why do you call them thugs?? They were demonstrating peacefully, they did no damage and no one was arrested. There are photos of them on the trains afterwards laughing and chatting with other passengers quite were quite happy.

Some people attending the Palestinian demonstrations every Saturday throughout the summer covered their faces and you probably wouldn't have called them thugs, despite the disruption they caused and the many arrests that were made

ooops - who were quite happy

sundowngirl

Greyfur16 - "clapping and cheering thugs "

Why do you call them thugs?? They were demonstrating peacefully, they did no damage and no one was arrested. There are photos of them on the trains afterwards laughing and chatting with other passengers quite were quite happy.

Some people attending the Palestinian demonstrations every Saturday throughout the summer covered their faces and you probably wouldn't have called them thugs, despite the disruption they caused and the many arrests that were made

The protesters were called to Portsmouth specifically to block coaches carrying asylum seekers not to peacefully protest as you suggest sundowngirl. All organised by the same man who organised and coordinated the Dover protest.

Have you not seen the video footage of the protestors trying to intimidate police officers - shouting at the police officers shame on you etc? Have you not read media articles? They were mostly wearing black and balaclavas.

The protestors blocked roads for hours and vowed to stay all night to prevent the new 140 asylum seeker arrivals being taken safely to a processing centre. This only ended at 3am when the police raised a dispersal order and warned they would make arrests if they did not comply and leave.

Criteria for issuing a dispersal order- Section 35 of the Anti Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 when a senior officer has reasonable grounds to believe it is necessary to prevent or reduce anti social behaviour, crime or disorder in a specific public area. There is your evidence.

Police cars had window screens smashed by protestors and at one stage the portrestors broke the police cordon- hardly peaceful.

The protestors behaviour appeared thuggish to me in the video footage. Definition of thuggish- acting like a bully or brute, looking tough, aggressive, using a derogatory tone to criticise people. All clear on the visa footage I have seen.

sundowngirl

Greyfur16 - "clapping and cheering thugs "

Why do you call them thugs?? They were demonstrating peacefully, they did no damage and no one was arrested. There are photos of them on the trains afterwards laughing and chatting with other passengers quite were quite happy.

Some people attending the Palestinian demonstrations every Saturday throughout the summer covered their faces and you probably wouldn't have called them thugs, despite the disruption they caused and the many arrests that were made

Well, obviously it’s quite normal for groups of people to dress all in black, wear masks, stop traffic and frighten the public - in your world.

It has been suggested that the funding for these 'Patriots' comes from abroad.
More foreign influence in our politics.

Casdon

sundowngirl

Greyfur16 - "clapping and cheering thugs "

Why do you call them thugs?? They were demonstrating peacefully, they did no damage and no one was arrested. There are photos of them on the trains afterwards laughing and chatting with other passengers quite were quite happy.

Some people attending the Palestinian demonstrations every Saturday throughout the summer covered their faces and you probably wouldn't have called them thugs, despite the disruption they caused and the many arrests that were made

Well, obviously it’s quite normal for groups of people to dress all in black, wear masks, stop traffic and frighten the public - in your world.

But the Palestinian marches were ok? In Dover there was no trouble other than traffic disruption for a few hours and it’s not illegal to wear black.

Were they? If you think that protests where people dress in a uniform and wear masks are acceptable, whatever the cause, we inhabit different worlds.

Maremia

The point they made is that they were not removed by the police, or arrested, or handcuffed, or carried away to a cell.
Was this a 'protest' or some sort of a testing the waters, trial run?
I think we may find out.

It appears the protesters have been trained in the rules and laws of legal protest and how to avoid getting arrested.

Back in the 1970s and 80's CND taught me the same thing.

Senior officers cannot issue anti social behaviour dispersal orders without just cause sundown girl!

Smashing police windows is antisocial behaviour as is breaking policy cordons. Is this peaceful and acceptable in your world?

Neither did the protesters have the legal right to stop the safe passage of asylum seekers to exercise their legal right to have their AS claim processed at Marston Immigration centre. They were not peacefully protesting they were acting anti socially and illegally.

Maremia

Were any of them arrested?
Handcuffed?
Carried away?

Not the Dover protestors and they left Dover of their own accord.

The Portsmouth protestors, organised by same man, had a more specific goal- called to action by same man to stop the safe passage of asylum seekers being taken to Marston centre to have their claims processed. They smashed police car windscreens and broke a police cordon.

So Police issued a dispersal order by 3am to facilitate their arrests but in the face of that consequence the Portsmouth protestors then decided to disperse.

People are upset by illegal immigration, no one listens.

No evidence to support the statement no one listens.....

IMO anyone on a protest should act within the law no matter what it is they are protesting about. The pro Palestine marches were attended by 1,000's of people, the vast majority were peaceful, respectful of the police and followed the rules (having notified the police of their intention to hold a protest march. There are families, people of many different faiths including Jews on the marches. The group who stopped traffic in Dover had not notified the police, had covered their faces to hide their identity and the organiser, Danny Thomas, had already been responsible for a racist attack in Epsom. Compare apples with pears as much as you like but they are not the same fruit!

LemonJam

No evidence to support the statement no one listens.....

Every boat that arrives is evidence.

A boat arrival carrying an asylum seeking is evidence of its arrival.

That is not and neither is there any evidence that no one listens the concerns people have about asylum seekers arrivals.

Thats a myth put forward by some without evidence.

There is an element of the British public who are unable to take on board that complex problems require complex solutions, which by the nature of the problem, will be imperfect. Basic application of logic would reveal that this is not a tap that can be turned off. Do people not realise how big the coastline is? Do they really think that France should keep everybody who is trying to get to the UK? Do they think we can just ‘send them back’? Do they not appreciate that if illegal migrants don’t arrive by small boats they will find other ways - and so on.

The Portsmouth protesters were not all masked and many seemed to just be local people who spontaneously reacted when they heard about the boats' arrivals. The BBC struggled to find a local who didn't agree with the protest.

Good for them - it’s about time we stood up and said ‘enough’s enough’
Nothing will be done to stop the boats unless people protest in their 1000’s.

Most of the Portsmouth protesters were reported to be wearing balaclavas as can be seen in the video footage. They were specially called for a designated purpose.

BBC website 2 hours ago- article titled 'Small boat protest explained: How a Channel crossing sparked unrest' :

"Hampshire Police said a small number of police officers were injured and vehicles were damaged, with an investigation now underway to identify those responsible. The government said people had a right to peaceful protest but condemned 'intimidating and thuggish behaviour".

I can't find anything on the BBC website that states the BBC 'struggled to find a local who didn't agree with the protest"- do you have an article reference? I would imagine the vast majority of the Portsmouth population were in bed at the time and did not witness it. I can't find any media article that describes this unrest in Portsmouth as 'peaceful protest either.

They were not all masked Aveline, but some were, you can see them on the Sky News Report. The organiser of the Dover protest is on video encouraging those who attended that to go to the protest in Portsmouth. Masks hide the identities of people who already have criminal records for inciting violence.

Lots of things are being done about small crossings. No evidence whatsoever that 'nothing is being done'.

The government may not be acting as how you would wish- but we are in a democracy and all can exercise their vote at the next GE.