Dover Harbour Board has refused permission for an anti-immigration rally scheduled for July 19 on Dover Beach, citing potential damage to a protected coastal ecosystem.
The Great British National Protest group, led by Richard Donaldson, had planned the demonstration to “stop the invasion and get Labour out” on the shingle shore.
Authorisation was withdrawn by the board last week due to concerns about harm to the beach’s vegetated shingle, a rare habitat protected under the UK’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
This internationally recognised environment supports specialised plant and insect species.
Migrants sit onboard an inflatable boat before attempting to illegally cross the English Channel to reach Britain,
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The decision effectively blocks the protest from taking place on the privately owned beach, which falls under the Dover Harbour Board’s stewardship.
Donaldson has launched a crowdfunding campaign that has already raised more than £20,000 to mount a legal challenge against the ban.
In a video message, he criticised the decision as prioritising what he called “vegetable rocks” over free speech.
“Due to their concerns over the green stuff that lives amongst the shingle, we aren’t allowed to voice our concerns and opinions,” he said.
The protest organiser has suggested attendees could circumvent the ban by arriving as individuals wearing message-bearing caps and T-shirts whilst carrying flags.
These tactics could still threaten the protected environment, according to conservation concerns raised about the gathering.
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The Port of Dover
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A Port of Dover spokesman told KentLive: “Dover Beach is private property owned by the Dover Harbour Board. Public access is permitted for recreational purposes only and is subject to Harbour Byelaws, which prohibit protests and similar organised gatherings.”
Despite the prohibition, Donaldson remains defiant. In a Facebook post, he declared: “We will continue with our plans on Dover beach, the probability of legal proceedings against me has now shot up.
“I won’t give up. I will fight. We will fight. We will not be told where we can and can’t go and what opinions we are and aren’t allowed to have.”
He acknowledged the financial risks, adding: “As I’m sure you can appreciate, lawsuits cost money. I need to protect myself as much as possible.”
A group of people thought to be migrants arrive in an inflatable boat at Kingsdown beach, near Dover
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Anti-fascist organisation Searchlight has warned about potential environmental damage from the proposed gathering. They stated: “Events like this are invariably characterised by the consumption of considerable quantities of alcohol.”
“In this case, it could be disastrous: by the end of the day, there will be litter, broken glass and cans everywhere in the shingle and the sea. Children will be cutting their feet for weeks afterwards,” the organisation added.
Searchlight also questioned the logistics: “How can you get toilets onto the beach? There is no vehicle access to deliver equipment etc. What if there is bad weather? For a former soldier, Donaldson, the organiser, has not thought any of this through properly.”
The planned protest has attracted criticism even from within hard-right circles, with other fringe groups distancing themselves and calling Donaldson’s beach strategy impractical and poorly planned, according to Searchlight’s research.
