The former boss of civil rights group Liberty has urged the government to consider banning the ‘Patriot Platform’ group behind anti-migrant protests that saw masked and hooded men descend on Dover and Portsmouth, reports BritPanorama.
Shami Chakrabarti, who served as Labour’s shadow attorney general from 2016 to 2020, criticized the group as one that “appears explicitly to intend and incite violence and intimidation,” suggesting that their uniforms resemble those of a “private army.”
She previously criticized the government’s controversial decision to ban Palestine Action under terrorism legislation, which she argued had led to prosecutions of many peaceful protesters.
Chakrabarti called for lawmakers to “at least give consideration” to proscribing the Patriot Platform, warning that failure to act may erode public trust over perceived inaction against rising threats.
According to the Terrorism Act 2000, the home secretary has the authority to proscribe organizations believed to be involved in terrorism if it is deemed proportionate. Once an organization is proscribed, any support or membership becomes illegal.
The Patriot Platform, led by far-right activist Daniel Thomas, also known as Danny Tommo, has coordinated disruptive protests in Dover and Portsmouth, where supporters blocked roads and attempted to intercept newly arrived migrants.
Thomas, who has a controversial history, including a prison sentence for attempted kidnapping, has been vocal in promoting an anti-immigration agenda, exemplified by his group’s slogan: “Together, we will take our country back.”
Chakrabarti will address these issues during her Lord Speaker’s Lecture this evening.
She stated: “To be clear, I have spoken against the blanket banning of face coverings at protests. We must protect the immune compromised and those who reasonably fear repercussions when protesting outside the embassy of a repressive state or office of an abusive employer.”
“Nonetheless, political uniforms in public were understandably banned by section 1 of the Public Order Act 1936…”
“I maintain my view that the proscription of Palestine Action was a disproportionate and counterproductive mistake, with the potential for prosecuting the violent few rather than penalizing the peaceful many. That issue is currently before the Supreme Court.”
“Still, I wonder whether it isn’t time to at least give consideration to the proscription of the so-called Patriot Platform after recent events on our south coast. That is if we as legislators are not to lose the public over inaction in the face of rising threats, and perceived double standards.”
She emphasized the distinction between Palestine Action and the Patriot Platform: “The former appears to have thousands of supporters interested in nothing but completely peaceful dissent and a few involved in criminal damage. The latter appears explicitly to intend and incite violence and intimidation, and its uniforms signify a private army.”
Her comments come amid escalating tensions surrounding anti-migrant protests and counter-protests, exacerbated by spreading online rumors that have polarized communities in the UK.
Residents in Dover reported feeling unsafe as a large group of masked demonstrators blocked roads and access to the port earlier this month.
Hundreds of protesters, dressed in black and wearing face coverings, chanted “stop the boats” as they obstructed traffic, prompting government condemnation of the “behavior in Dover and the travel disruption it has caused.”
A group was later seen marching through town, chanting “whose streets? our streets!” and “stop the boats,” all under the watch of numerous police officers.
The Home Office has been approached for comment.
