January 31, 2016 | Michaela Whitton
Michaela Whitton
January 31, 2016
(ANTIMEDIA) United Kingdom — Clashes between British far-right groups and anti-fascists in the coastal town of Dover turned violent on Saturday after police struggled to keep the two groups apart.
The protest against immigration was organized by two groups, the English Defence League (EDL) and the National Front with protesters carrying banners saying “refugees not welcome” and waving National Front flags. People from all over the country attended the march which began at 1pm in Dover’s Market Square.
Confrontations quickly developed between the far-right groups and a counter-demonstration organized by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and the Kent Anti-Racism Network (KARN). Police in riot gear and dog handlers were unable to stem the violence and bricks were thrown by both sides which resulted in a number of demonstrators needing to be hospitalized.
LBC reporter Bryony Waite who was covering the protests said that far-right protesters told her she should be raped. Other photos showed members doing Nazi salutes standing next to a police van.
Clashes also developed between fascist and anti-fascist protesters at a nearby motorway after police stopped the groups on their way to the demonstration. One man was arrested, a number of coaches damaged and a swastika was daubed on the side of one in blood, according to a Guardian report.
People took to Twitter both during the incident and after to accuse the media of biased reporting. Others likened the demonstration to events in Stockholm on Friday evening when a mob of up to a hundred black-clad masked men rampaged through the city, singling out and beating up immigrants.
Wonder how many people siding with #Dover fascists would like to’ve joined #Stockholm Neo-Nazis attacking children? https://t.co/oeynYDxYAt
— Christine of Aaargh (@cdaargh) January 30, 2016
Fascist thugs in #Dover, fascist thugs in #Stockholm, hate crimes against disabled & other minorities rising… What a shit world. — Christine of Aaargh (@cdaargh) January 30, 2016
so @SkyNews now refers to National Front fascists roaming the streets of #Dover as “right wing protestors”? hmm.. — James Howe (@jazhowe1968) January 30, 2016
Out of curiosity: why are anti-immigrant protesters “far-right” but the anti-fascist protesters aren’t far-left? #Dover — Thorium Kloppsson (@HammerOfThorium) January 30, 2016
I see #Dover got a bit messy! All you fascists gonna lose!#Humanity over #Hate#refugeeswelcome
Well done #antifa
— Just Me.Rachel.(IMP) (@rcp123456) January 30, 2016
#bbcnews An utter disgrace, even by your own biased standards. What a joke your so-called reporting is. #Dover
— manwithamop (@manwithamop) January 30, 2016
From #Dover to #Stockholm anti-fascists have been hard at work providing robust street defence against bullies. https://t.co/Pu7CAfPwFS — PeoplesAssemblySEL (@PeoplesSELondon) January 30, 2016
#Dover video of protesters. #DeportAllMuslims pic.twitter.com/AV6kPWVc4R
— Alt Right (@_AltRight_) January 30, 2016
On our way home after a very tiring day at the seaside #dover No Pasaran was the pledge that made us fight
— Mr.Nobody (@bilalmindblowin) January 30, 2016
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