Key facts
- Far-right marches led by Daniel Thomas are described as 'intimidation' by Communities Secretary Angela Rayner.
- Rayner stated that masked marchers blocking roads and transport hubs are not acceptable protest behavior.
- Daniel Thomas was arrested and charged last week for allegedly slashing an inflatable dinghy with a blade while a rescue worker was onboard.
- Rayner expressed concern over social media amplifying extreme voices targeting the RNLI.
- Rayner called for more humanity in the description and treatment of migrants attempting to cross the Channel.
Communities Secretary Angela Rayner has stated that far-right marches, led by Daniel Thomas, should not be treated as normal protests and should not be permitted due to their intimidating nature. Rayner described the behavior of masked marchers, who have blocked roads and transport hubs, as not an acceptable form of protest. She contrasted these marches with traditional protests, noting the absence of music and banners and the presence of "divisive rhetoric."
Daniel Thomas, the organizer of these marches under the banner "Patriot Platform," was recently arrested and charged for allegedly slashing an inflatable dinghy with a blade while a rescue worker was onboard. Rayner emphasized that the marches are frightening local residents, stating that "hundreds of predominantly men in black wearing black face masks shouting, going down the street, that is intimidating."