Masked protesters block Port of Dover

I found the whole episode disturbing, as you say Maizie the almost silent discipline and control - this frightens me more than a noisy rabble.

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.

Jaxjacky I agree that there was something unnerving about their control and quietness. Could it be that they have learnt that violent and disorderly protests get them nowhere?

MauravTaurus this is something I have been banging on about for years (on here and in real life)

Our security services have to be accurate and on the ball at all times, whereas a terrorist/protest only has to get through the system once to cause chaos, injury or like yesterday an atmosphere of uncertainty.

I know this is a bit of whataboutism, but this BBC report from 2021

Port of Dover: Arrests made as Insulate Britain blocks port

Thirty nine people have been arrested after climate activists blocked Dover port, causing queues of vehicles attempting to cross the Channel.

Insulate Britain, which has brought chaos on the M25 five times in the past fortnight, said more than 40 people had gathered.

The Kent port - Europe's busiest ferry terminal - said passengers should take extra time for their journeys.

The main protest began at 08:20 BST and was cleared by police two hours later.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-58676610?app-referrer=deep-link

Yesterdays' demonstrators cause 4 mile queues on the approach roads, why no arrests?

Oddly, the BBC article from yesterday which reported this on the demo is not available...

There are lots of questions to be asked.

And why hasn't the government condemned the action? Richard Tice (of all people!) has. Are they asleep?

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.

& yet no one mentions the Palestinian marches, how noisy they were, or that they held up traffic (I missed an urgent hospital appointment as I couldn’t get through them). Or the just stop oil brigade 🙄

Daniel Thomas (Danny Tommo), Hope not Hate, claimed responsibility for organising this protest. More to follow he says. Easy enough to research him online.

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.

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.

Very much a trial run, more to come. The organisers wanted it to be disciplined and non violent. He's apparently recruiting a national Christian army (including women). This is from his website and an interview available online with Dan Wooton.

Christian?
Has he heard of the parable of The Good Samaritan?

OldFrill

Very much a trial run, more to come. The organisers wanted it to be disciplined and non violent. He's apparently recruiting a national Christian army (including women). This is from his website and an interview available online with Dan Wooton.

Haven’t looked at their website.

I can see why a National Christian Army would appeal to some.

I guess it is linked to the thousands of young male asylum seekers who arrive by large boats. Social media platforms are awash with accusations of the U.K. government letting in a foreign army in disguise as asylum seekers.

Along with Iran dropping hints that sleeper agents are accessing the U.K. by this method.

There is fear of the unknown, not sure what the answer is 🤷‍♀️

Does education pay a part, or is this fear and animosity learnt at home…

If we ban these marches/protest will that not increase their following and give their cause legitimacy by default?

It sounds just like the "Patriot" groups who took part in the Jan 6th insurrection in the US in 2021 but currently without the violence. I just wonder how long they will last without the violence and how many of them go to church?

Vintagewhine

There's a huge difference between Muslim women choosing to cover their faces whilst shopping or taking their children to school and men wearing balaclavas to cover their faces whilst they march along shouting " whose streets, our streets". I'm for peaceful demos and expect those attending to stay within the law regardless of where they stand on the political spectrum. However, to pretend these thugs are peace loving citizens is frankly ridiculous.

I certainly don’t want to share public streets with those people.

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.

policing needs to acquire this evidence in advance
And if we had enough of those police we just might.
It is estimated by our security services that for every one person they are interested in, that person has 30 contacts to have to be monitored.
At this present time our security services are very very concerned with Russia/ China/ Iran and every other scroat who wants to cause us harm.
They do not have the resources to monitor a group who so far have not broken the law.

Basgetti

Vintagewhine

There's a huge difference between Muslim women choosing to cover their faces whilst shopping or taking their children to school and men wearing balaclavas to cover their faces whilst they march along shouting " whose streets, our streets". I'm for peaceful demos and expect those attending to stay within the law regardless of where they stand on the political spectrum. However, to pretend these thugs are peace loving citizens is frankly ridiculous.

I certainly don’t want to share public streets with those people.

Non of us know who we are sharing the streets with
The really dangerous ones don’t advertise themselves.

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?

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

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?

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?

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'.

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.

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

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