Far-right port protests over Channel crossings prompt UK police intelligence review
September 9, 2026 at 07:02 AM
Coverage
10 reports · 1 in Arabic, 9 in English · over 51 hours
Far-right port protests: police told to improve intelligence gathering
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Abuse of RNLI volunteers 'wholly unacceptable', chief says
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Kent Police warned of Dover protests the day before, force says
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Two ports denied request to land 120 migrants in RNLI boats
(opens the publisher’s site)مناهضو الهجرة يربكون موانئ بريطانيا.. والحكومة تتوعد
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Minister condemns disorder at Portsmouth anti-migrant protest after police officers hurt
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What we know about the journey of the Portsmouth migrant boat
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What we know about anti-migrant protests and organiser Danny Thomas
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What is Patriot Platform, the far-right group that descended on Dover and Portsmouth?
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Protesters block roads in Portsmouth after 140 migrants arrive in boat
(opens the publisher’s site)Masked far-right groups staged weekend protests in Dover and Portsmouth over small boat crossings, prompting Kent police to admit missed warnings and RNLI volunteers to face abuse.
- Kent police admitted receiving non-emergency warnings on Friday evening that a protest could occur in Dover, information they said was not fully assessed.
- Prime minister Andy Burnham met police chiefs on Tuesday to discuss the weekend unrest and preparedness for further protests.
- Two RNLI lifeboats carrying migrants were refused landing permission at Southampton and Portsmouth ports and forced to divert to Eastney.
- RNLI chief executive Peter Sparkes said volunteers faced online and physical abuse and blamed "deliberate misinformation" about the charity.
Latest developments
- Sep 9 — Kent Police has said the warning it received would not have prevented the lawful Dover protest, while acknowledging the information could have allowed it to consider resourcing.
- Sep 9 — Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott has welcomed an independent learning review by the College of Policing into the force's handling of the warning.
- Sep 9 — Eight boats carrying 625 migrants arrived on Sunday, and several officers were injured during a protest in Portsmouth.