A close associate of Tommy Robinson has appeared to claim responsibility for the masked anti-migrant protest which blocked roads around the Port of Dover and left passengers trapped in miles of traffic.
Daniel Thomas, better known as Danny Tommo, shared footage of hundreds of black-clad protesters marching through the Kent town and declared: “This is our warning.”
The demonstration brought traffic on the A20 to a halt and disrupted access to Britain’s busiest international ferry port on Saturday morning.
Videos showed protesters wearing balaclavas, linking arms across roads and chanting “stop the boats” and “whose streets? Our streets”.
The action was praised by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, but condemned by politicians across the political spectrum.
Nigel Farage described the scenes as “disgusting” and said nobody attending a political protest should be allowed to conceal their identity behind a balaclava.
Danny Tommo declares ‘this is our warning’
Thomas shared footage appearing to show masked protesters marching through Dover.
“It’s time! Protect our country! And more importantly our women and children! This is our warning!”
Another video shared by Thomas showed the words “blood is on your hands” apparently painted on the ground outside Western Jet Foil, a processing centre used after migrants arrive in Britain by small boat.
Campaign group Hope Not Hate linked the protest to Patriot Platform, an organisation recently launched by Thomas.
Thomas has described the group as “the resistance standing against the downfall of the United Kingdom” and claimed it has local contingents operating across the country.
Patriot Platform later claimed responsibility for the blockade.
Thomas and Robinson have appeared together at several rallies and political events. Some campaign groups and media outlets have described Thomas as Robinson’s “right-hand man”.
There is no evidence that Robinson helped to organise the Dover demonstration or knew about it before it began.
However, he shared footage after the protest was under way and encouraged supporters to attend.
“Simultaneously at different locations across Dover patriots have mobilised to close down the port.”
Robinson later described the demonstration as a “warning shot to the establishment” and wrote that “DT has smashed it”.
Protesters bring Dover roads to a halt
The protest began on Saturday morning when a large group of people, most of them apparently men, gathered around the port.
Many were dressed entirely in black and had covered their faces with balaclavas or masks.
Footage showed the group blocking a roundabout, marching along roads and preventing vehicles from reaching the port.
National Highways closed the A20 in both directions as congestion stretched for approximately four miles. Some ferry passengers experienced delays of around 30 minutes, while lorries and holiday traffic became trapped in queues.
The Port of Dover described the disruption as a public order incident.
Ferry companies said passengers who missed their booked crossings because of the blockade would be moved to the next available services.
The protesters had dispersed by midday and the port said its access roads were once again running normally.
Kent Police said no arrests had been made and there were no reports of serious violence.
Police description of ‘spontaneous’ protest questioned
Kent Police described the demonstration as spontaneous.
“Kent Police responded to a spontaneous protest in Dover during the morning of Saturday 5 September.
“No arrests were made. Traffic is flowing normally, and all involved had dispersed by midday.”
That description has faced questions following the publication of footage suggesting protesters appeared at several locations around Dover at the same time.
Chris Vinson, leader of the Conservative group on Dover District Council, described the participants as a coordinated group of several hundred masked men.
He said people leaving night shifts at the port had been prevented from travelling home, while women sitting in cars had found the sight of black-clad protesters surrounding vehicles intimidating.
Dover and Deal MP Mike Tapp said he would ask whether police intelligence had missed signs that the demonstration was being planned.
He also wants assurances that additional officers can be sent to Dover quickly if another attempt is made to block the port.
The apparent involvement of Patriot Platform and social media comments describing simultaneous action are likely to add to questions about why the protest was treated as an unexpected event.
Police have not announced an investigation into Thomas, Robinson or Patriot Platform.
Farage condemns masked protesters
Farage issued an unusually strong condemnation of an anti-migration protest while attending Reform UK’s party conference.
“It’s disgusting. Nobody in any political protest, on the left or right, should appear in balaclavas.”
He said protesters should not be permitted to conceal their identities while demonstrating on British streets and added that he deplored the scenes in Dover.
Robert Jenrick, Reform’s Treasury spokesperson, also criticised the blockade.
Jenrick said he had always opposed protesters obstructing people as they went about their lives, comparing the disruption with tactics used by Just Stop Oil.
He described the balaclavas as intimidating but added that he understood why people were frustrated about immigration.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said peaceful protest was an important part of British life but condemned people dressing in masks and disrupting local residents.
The government said the right to protest was fundamental to democracy but criticised both the protesters’ behaviour and the travel disruption they caused.
Protest held as small boat numbers fall
Dover has been at the centre of the political debate surrounding Channel crossings for several years.
The protest was directed at the arrival of migrants travelling in small boats, although it did not target the beaches where most arrivals are brought ashore.
Government figures released shortly before the demonstration showed that small boat crossings during the summer had fallen to their lowest level in seven years.
Crossings during June, July and August were all lower than during the same months in 2025, according to provisional Home Office data.
The government has argued that the fall shows its border strategy is beginning to work. Its opponents maintain that overall migration remains too high and say the figures can change rapidly because of weather conditions in the Channel.
Hope Not Hate described the Dover action as evidence of what it called an increase in anti-migrant vigilantism.
The organisation accused Patriot Platform of intimidating residents and inconveniencing an entire town to generate publicity.
Stand Up To Racism questioned why a group had been able to blockade a major port without arrests when environmental and pro-Palestinian protesters had faced tougher police responses for disruptive demonstrations.
Those questions will now form part of the scrutiny facing Kent Police, while Thomas and Robinson continue to present the blockade as a warning of further action.
One response to “Tommy Robinson associate claims credit for masked Dover blockade as Farage calls it ‘disgusting’”
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Very peaceful probably less turmoil than previous protests. No arrests . Less problems than when the french go on strike. I would presume the face covering due to cameras and gov using cameras to arrest protestets.
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