Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has directed police chiefs to ensure they apply all necessary powers to manage anti-migrant demonstrations, following what the Home Office described as “unacceptable disorder” during recent events. In a meeting held this Thursday, the Home Secretary emphasized that authorities must learn from the handling of protests that occurred last weekend in Dover and Portsmouth.
Mahmood sought formal assurances that police have robust strategies to respond swiftly to far-right groups attempting to intimidate local communities. The directive follows incidents on Saturday where masked activists paralyzed traffic in Dover, and a separate demonstration on Sunday in Portsmouth, where approximately 200 individuals attempted to obstruct the transport of migrants to processing facilities. The report also notes that in a meeting on Thursday she asked for reassurance that plans were in place for the police to move quickly and effectively in dealing with far-right groups seeking to intimidate communities.
