Kent Police deploy specialist resources in Dover during planned protests
Kent Police said highly trained officers, dogs and drones were in Dover on Saturday to minimise disruption linked to planned protests in the town.
Kent Police announced on social media on 3 October 2026 that specialist officers, police dogs, drones and other resources had been deployed in Dover. The force said the operation was aimed at keeping disruption during planned protests to a minimum. The announcement did not identify the protest organisers, the locations involved or the number of participants expected.
No arrests, injuries or incidents of damage were reported in the Kent Police announcement. The precise number of officers, dogs and drones deployed could not be independently verified.
A UK Government statement reported that close to 150 people had previously gathered at the Port of Dover during a no-notice protest, with no arrests made and access to the port later restored. A separate protest in Hampshire, connected with the arrival of people for processing, drew more than 200 attendees, according to the same statement. The Government said no arrests were made that night and that investigations continued.
The Government stated that protest activity during the earlier south-coast events caused disruption to local residents, workers, ferry passengers and motorists. It said peaceful protest is a protected right, but that unlawful or intimidating conduct may result in enforcement action.
Kent Police, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and the National Police Coordination Centre were said by the Government to be working together on public-order policing across the wider operation. The Kent Police announcement did not detail any protest-related road closures, dispersal notices or court injunctions in place in Dover on 3 October 2026.
Source: @kent_police
Published: 3 October 2026