Shabana Mahmood urges police to curb far-right, anti-migrant protests

Mahmood signaled the need for "strong deterrence" and improved intelligence to counter new tactics employed by groups such as Patriot Platform, led by convicted kidnapper Daniel Thomas. She emphasized that the scenes caused disruption and fear, differentiating them from other protests and necessitating lessons learned.

The Home Office and police faced criticism for not taking a harder line against the far-right, with some groups alleging a "two-tier" approach compared to the prosecution of environmental campaigners. Police in Dover and Portsmouth were reportedly taken by surprise by the scale of the demonstrations.

Ahead of further predicted disruptions, Mahmood urged officers to utilize digital evidence, including body-worn video and facial recognition technology, to identify offenders. The Crime and Policing Act, enacted in April, grants police powers to establish mask-free zones at protests, with potential fines or imprisonment for violations.

Protests organized by Thomas in Dover blocked roads for hours, disrupting port traffic. Kent police initially denied prior warning but later admitted to receiving unheeded calls on Friday evening. In Portsmouth, after a dinghy carrying asylum seekers was rescued, around 200 protesters gathered, blocking roads and allegedly assaulting officers, though no arrests were made.

In a related development, RNLI volunteers and staff have been warned not to wear charity branding due to "unacceptable abuse" from anti-migrant protesters who targeted them for assisting migrants. Footage has emerged showing volunteers being called "traitors" after helping people who arrived by boat.