Two anti-migrant protests erupted in southern England this weekend, with masked demonstrators blocking roads in Dover and another crowd attempting to disrupt migrant arrivals in Portsmouth. The seemingly separate protests have a common thread: Danny Thomas, better known as Danny Tommo, a long-standing anti-migrant campaigner from near Portsmouth. His growing online movement helped turn local anger into coordinated street action. From Dover disruption to Portsmouth confrontation Thomas organised Saturday’s Dover protest, where men dressed in black and wearing balaclavas blocked major roads for hours. The demonstration was the first major outing for a campaign he has been building over the summer. The following day, Border Force brought migrants ashore at Portsmouth’s Eastney landing stage after an unusually long Channel crossing. The location, opposite the ferry route to Hayling Island, made it easier for Thomas to mobilise supporters nearby through social media. The Government has condemned what it called “intimidating and thuggish behaviour”, while stressing that peaceful protest remains protected. Thomas has a history far beyond the protests Thomas first attracted national attention in 2016 after being jailed for two years after pleading guilty to attempting to kidnap a man at knifepoint. After his release, he became closely associated with anti-migrant and anti-Muslim activist Tommy Robinson, although the pair now appear less close. Thomas has since built his own following by filming confrontations with migrants on French beaches and distributing the footage online. A new movement is promising ‘mass resistance’ In July, Thomas launched Patriot Platform, describing it as a movement of “the sons and daughters of this island” seeking to “take our country back”. He has spoken of “mass resistance” while insisting it should not be violent. In a recent video, he told supporters that “something is about to go down” involving men from across the country, while urging discipline and warning that violence would simply lead to arrests. Authorities now face a tougher test The Dover demonstration has already raised questions over whether police were sufficiently prepared, after Kent Police described it as spontaneous. With Thomas signalling that the weekend’s action may be only the beginning, officials now face a growing challenge: allowing legitimate protest while preventing increasingly organised demonstrations from tipping into disorder and intimidation. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpq0nn1l7w0o
Create an account or sign in to comment