Far-right activist arrested for allegedly damaging migrant vessel
LONDON — A far-right activist who has led protests against migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats has been arrested for allegedly slashing a dinghy in the water, reports BritPanorama.
A video posted on social media appears to show Daniel Thomas, 37, taking a knife to an inflatable boat, which was empty of migrants but had a rescue services member aboard, while shouting “You’re in English territory.”
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary stated that a 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage with intent to endanger life and endangering the safety of a vessel. He remained in custody on Thursday.
British police typically do not identify suspects by name until they are formally charged.
Thomas, who goes by the nickname Danny Tommo, is a known associate of far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson. The group he founded, Patriot Platform, is behind recent protests where masked, black-clad men attempted to stop migrants from reaching the U.K.
Earlier this month, masked demonstrators blocked the port of Dover, in southeast England, and tried to prevent migrants from being taken ashore in Portsmouth on the country’s south coast.
Successive U.K. governments have faced challenges in addressing the influx of individuals making the perilous journey across one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, with more than 41,000 crossing last year. This issue has been labelled a crisis by politicians like Nigel Farage of the hard-right party Reform UK and has served as a rallying point for anti-immigration activists.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s center-left government claims that enhanced law enforcement cooperation between Britain and France has led to a drop of over 40% in crossings so far this year compared to 2025.
