A group of masked, black-clad vigilantes who blockaded roads in Dover have warned they may return unless police take stronger action, according to campaigners and politicians. The demonstration, which disrupted traffic, was claimed by the Patriot Platform, an anti-immigration group with far-right ties. The group describes itself as having a 'fierce love for our homeland' and believes 'Britain belongs to the British'.

Campaign group Hope Not Hate, which has been monitoring the Patriot Platform, said that despite its founder, Daniel Thomas, posting on social media about his plans to cause disruption, the authorities had 'failed to act'. Thomas, a far-right social media influencer who was Tommy Robinson's bodyguard, was able to mobilise a large group for the demonstration on Saturday. Hope Not Hate's founder, Nick Lowles, said that this was 'clearly the consequence of the inaction from the police'.

Thomas posted that Saturday's gathering had been the group's 'warning', suggesting it could be the first step in a wider plan. On Instagram, he wrote that he was switching off for a few weeks as he was 'mentally exhausted', but that he would subsequently resume 'updated meetings and vetting'. 'A message was sent! Now imagine how powerful the next message will be,' he wrote.

Labour MP Mike Tapp, who represents Dover and Deal, shared his concerns about the need for greater police support 'when Dover is targeted again' in a piece for the Mirror. He suggested that he would like additional officers, including mutual aid from forces such as the Met, available to be mobilised quickly. He wrote: 'The Port of Dover is not just another road junction. It is critical national infrastructure. Wilfully obstructing a highway can be a criminal offence. New legislation also means police can designate protest areas where concealing your identity with a balaclava or other face covering becomes an offence.' Tapp posted on X that Kent police appeared to have had 'little advance warning', and questioned whether intelligence had been missed. 'A clearly coordinated protest is not 'spontaneous' as described by police. We can and must do better.'

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said that although peaceful protest was an 'essential part of British life', this differed from 'dressing up in costumes like this and disrupting people's lives'. He told the Sky News Sunday Morning programme: 'I would condemn it, but I'd condemn the disruption it caused for local people as well. Clearly, that's not something we would want or expect to see on the [streets] of Britain.' When pressed on the apparent unpreparedness of the police, he said that 'on the whole, the police handled it very well'.

Kent police engaged with the protest on Saturday, which the Port of Dover described as a 'public order incident'. Protesters had dispersed by lunchtime, and no arrests were made during the incident. Social media videos showed a large number of demonstrators linking arms in a blockade across the A20, chanting 'stop the boats' and 'England till I die'. The police did not give an official estimate of the number of people involved.