[ad_1]
Protesters have gathered in the port of Dover to demonstrate thousands of migrants arriving in the UK in small boats.
There were fears of violence before Saturday with pro and anti-immigration activists announcing their intention to meet in the city of Kent.
It comes despite pleas from local MP Natalie Elphicke to “stay away” to avoid a second wave of COVID-19.
On Friday night the words “Rise above fear. Refugees Welcome ”were broadcast to the White Cliffs of Dover by the humanitarian charity Freedom From Torture.
There is a heavy police presence in the city, with large concentrations of officers in Market Square and the train station.
A cohort of officers on horseback are among those monitoring the situation.
Several groups had announced their intention to travel to Dover on Saturday to protest for or against the migrant crossings.
Pro-immigrant activists gathered in Market Square for a rally organized by Kent Anti Racism Network.
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. We are standing up and welcoming people who are in desperate circumstances and fleeing horrible situations. “
Meanwhile, others were expected to try to “close the port” by driving slowly on the roads and possibly trying to block the entrances to the port with ships.
The anti-racist group Hope Not Hate had expressed concern before the event that there would be violence and that fragmented elements of the British far right might also travel to Dover.
Kent Police Chief Superintendent Nigel Brookes said: “As a force, it is our responsibility to facilitate peaceful protests, however we will not tolerate violence or disorder.
“Anyone planning to visit Dover with the intent to commit crimes should know that they are not welcome here and that we will seek to prosecute anyone who breaks the law.”
The total number of migrants who have crossed the sea to Britain in 2020 is now more than 5,600, an analysis by the PA news agency shows.
