Dover police collide with immigration protesters in port



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Police detained a protester near the port.

Police and anti-immigration protesters have clashed outside the Dover port entrance.

At one point, several officers detained a person on the ground and a total of nine people were arrested.

It came about when rival protests broke out in the city by immigrants arriving in the UK in small boats.

Kent Anti-Racism Network said it wanted to show “solidarity” with the refugees, while opposition groups want to “protect Britain’s border.”

The humanitarian charity Freedom From Torture relayed a message to White Cliffs overnight.

It said: “Rise above fear. Refugees are welcome.”

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Kent Police increased their presence in Dover

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Anti-immigrant protesters gathered to “protect the border”

Police concentrated their officers in Market Square and the train station, and officers on horseback are also monitoring the situation.

A group of about 60 people shouting “freedom” moved along the Dover waterfront, and many were wearing Union flag masks and carrying flags.

But, addressing a crowd of around 100, Kent Refugee Help’s Peter Keenan said that when society sees people fleeing war and rejects them “that says something about the state of their society.”

He continued: “We are not those people.”

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Some protesters showed “solidarity” with migrants

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The protest was in response to migrants crossing the Canal in boats

in a cheep, the Port of Dover had warned that there was a disruption on the A20 due to the protest and recommended that the local community consider alternative routes and travelers to allow sufficient time for their travels.

Protesters blocked the highway in both directions, leaving traffic paralyzed, chanting Rule, Britannia! as they marched into the city.

Many wore Union flag masks and carried banners.

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Some protesters carried banners and flags.

There were new clashes with a group of at least 50 policemen on the A20.

Agents moved the protesters down the road into the city center.

At around 15:00 BST, all the protesters had largely dispersed and the last ones pushed towards the train station.

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At least 5,196 people have crossed the English Channel on some 318 ships in 2020.

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Activists sent a sign to the cliffs

Police made nine arrests in total, Kent police confirmed.

Those were for racially aggravated public order, violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker.

Officers said investigations were underway to identify more crimes.

Before the protests, Ch Supt Nigel Brooks said: “As a force, it is our responsibility to facilitate peaceful protests, however we will not tolerate violence or disorder.”

These are thought groups from across the country that traveled to Dover.

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Protesters gathered around the A20 and the port.

Dover MP Natalie Elphicke had urged people to “stay away” to prevent a second wave of coronavirus.

A spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry said she was aware of the protests and had contingency plans to minimize any potential disruption.

Figures compiled by the BBC show that at least 5,196 people crossed the English Channel on some 318 ships in 2020.

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The protests take place amid continued coronavirus measures.



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