Masked protesters block Port of Dover

mrsmeldrew

Can you imagine how intimidating it would have been to local people and holiday makers about to board ferries? Especially if there are children. They arrived on trains and the obnoxious Robinson was applauding it on social media

If I’d been there I would have been traumatised. Even seeing it on the tv sent shivers down my spine. It’s like living in a dystopian future but it’s happening now. Imo these organisations are using the boats to gain power but have a much more sinister agenda.

No idea, Martav/Taurus.
Part of a longer 'play'. perhaps? To see what they would actually do?
I believe more has been 'promised'.
As folk have said upthread, they have a right to protest peacefully?

Maremia

Allegedly, some of those peaceful protesters have already been identified through face recognition technology.
Allegedly, a proportion of them are already 'known to the Police'
Surprised?

So, if as you say, a proportion of them were already known to the Police, who could recognise them from their database, why did the Police fail to use basic intelligence gathering to stop them before they reached the port? Too little, too late.

MT62

From what bits I saw it was a peaceful march straight through the police.
I didn’t see any violence. Some locals clapped & cheered.
On the whole, made a point, left to go home.

Admirable I suppose to many. But who are they under their masks?

It's terrifying that this has become normalised.

Allegedly, some of those peaceful protesters have already been identified through face recognition technology.
Allegedly, a proportion of them are already 'known to the Police'
Surprised?

Rosie51

MaizieD

And yet Extinction Rebellion's pink boat blocked Oxford Circus in central London for 5 days and was celebrated by the likes of Emma Thompson who flew over first class from USA. I don't remember her or any of the others being arrested?

Why should Emma Thompson have been arrested?

Because she was part of a protest that blocked roads? Was she less liable than the other participants? You were the one who raised that it is an arrestable offence.

Sorry?

Was she one of the road blockers?

MartavTaurus

So where was the intelligence this time? We seem to be losing our grip on gathering information of upcoming protests with a view to containing them. If this sort of protest disrupts a town like Dover and the ferry port, the same could happen if they disrupted flights at Heathrow or trains at Eurostar next time. Policing needs to acquire this information in advance.

I think the MP for Dover must have read my post on here today at 11.18.14 regarding intelligence.

At 12. 21 he wrote The next step is ensuring we have a grip of this so there are no further surprises.

😆

Can you imagine how intimidating it would have been to local people and holiday makers about to board ferries? Especially if there are children. They arrived on trains and the obnoxious Robinson was applauding it on social media

Rosie51

MaizieD

GrannyGravy13

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.

Why should they have been arrested, handcuffed or carried away to a cell ?

We have the right to peaceful protest in the U.K.

Blocking roads is an arrestable offence. See the story I posted earlier about the Just Stop Oil protestors arrested for blocking what were probably the same roads as Saturday's lot blocked

And yet Extinction Rebellion's pink boat blocked Oxford Circus in central London for 5 days and was celebrated by the likes of Emma Thompson who flew over first class from USA. I don't remember her or any of the others being arrested?

There definitely were arrests- 680 in total.

Google Sky News article- Extinction Rebellion:680 arrests as police aim for business as usual.

A Metropolitan police spokesperson was quoted " One thing that is unusual about this demonstration is the willingness of those participating to rearrested and their lack of resistance to the arrests".

So, questions ARE being asked about the policing.
Was notification given ahead of the protest?
No, don't expect you to know the answer. Just giving a flavour of points to ponder.

MaizieD

^And yet Extinction Rebellion's pink boat blocked Oxford Circus in central London for 5 days and was celebrated by the likes of Emma Thompson who flew over first class from USA. I don't remember her or any of the others being arrested?^

Why should Emma Thompson have been arrested?

Because she was part of a protest that blocked roads? Was she less liable than the other participants? You were the one who raised that it is an arrestable offence.

MaizieD do you really think ER notified the police they were going to park a big pink boat in Oxford Circus for 5 days, and the police replied "OK, thanks for letting us know"?

And yet Extinction Rebellion's pink boat blocked Oxford Circus in central London for 5 days and was celebrated by the likes of Emma Thompson who flew over first class from USA. I don't remember her or any of the others being arrested?

Why should Emma Thompson have been arrested?

I think that much depends on whether a demonstration has been notified to the police or not.

Neither the Just Stop Oil one that I referenced, nor yesterday's had been notified.

Black and red together oh dear me how shocking

Just looking up Daniel Thomas on Google, but caught sight of, from Sky, 'Police response to Dover protests set to come under scrutiny'.

MaizieD

GrannyGravy13

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.

Why should they have been arrested, handcuffed or carried away to a cell ?

We have the right to peaceful protest in the U.K.

Blocking roads is an arrestable offence. See the story I posted earlier about the Just Stop Oil protestors arrested for blocking what were probably the same roads as Saturday's lot blocked

And yet Extinction Rebellion's pink boat blocked Oxford Circus in central London for 5 days and was celebrated by the likes of Emma Thompson who flew over first class from USA. I don't remember her or any of the others being arrested?

Thank you GG13, different criteria.

Thank you MazieD.
So, they were within their rights to keep the face covering.

Walking down a road en masse is treated differently in the eyes of the law than blocking a road

They are both open to prosecution but different criteria have to be met.

Source Google AI

MakzieD I think you are fully aware that not all protesters who have blocked a road on a march in the U.K. have been arrested.

If this was the case there would have been millions charged over the years and this is not so.

I reiterate I am not supporting this or any other march/protest however, I do support their right to do so.

Maremia

They have the right to protest, GG13, but if the Police have the right to ask them to move?
Did that happen?
If the Police have the right to ask them to remove their face covering?
Did that happen?

As the protest wasn't held in a 'designated area under section 158 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 the police couldn't do anything about the face coverings

See my earlier post

Though, according to AI

There is, however, an older power under section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. Where the necessary authorisation is in force, a uniformed officer can require someone to remove a face covering if the officer reasonably believes it is being worn wholly or mainly to conceal identity. Failure to comply is an offence.

But it still needs 'necessary authorisation'.

GrannyGravy13

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.

Why should they have been arrested, handcuffed or carried away to a cell ?

We have the right to peaceful protest in the U.K.

Blocking roads is an arrestable offence. See the story I posted earlier about the Just Stop Oil protestors arrested for blocking what were probably the same roads as Saturday's lot blocked

Maremia

They have the right to protest, GG13, but if the Police have the right to ask them to move?
Did that happen?
If the Police have the right to ask them to remove their face covering?
Did that happen?

I suggest you email Kent’s Chief Constable Maremia

Or are you making a veiled suggestion that in this case the police did not do their job?

Daniel Thomas?
Is he a law abiding, pillar of society?