Masked anti-immigrant protesters converged on ports in southern England over the weekend to try to prevent migrants from arriving after crossing the English Channel from France. Hundreds gathered in Portsmouth on Sunday, blocking streets and snarling traffic at a busy passenger ferry port. In Dover, masked protesters disrupted traffic a day prior, and demonstrators in both locations attempted to block buses carrying newly arrived migrants.
The British government has condemned the actions of the demonstrators, describing the conduct as intimidating and thuggish behavior. Minister Emma Reynolds specifically condemned the protesters who blocked streets in Portsmouth, calling them thuggish.
The weekend of unrest in Portsmouth and Dover has exposed deepening tensions over Britain's Channel crossings. This occurs even as the government insists that arrival numbers are falling.