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Anti-immigration protesters have clashed with a counter demonstration outside an RNLI lifeboat station. The right-wing activists claimed the maritime charity acts as a “taxi service” for illegal immigration, whereas their opponents said it was “disgusting” to target the organisation.
Groups of about 30 anti-immigration demonstrators gathered at Cross Wall Quay near Dover marina at 11.30am today, along with a large police presence. Bearing signs and flags they chanted slogans such as “send them back” and “stop the boats.”
They traded chants and insults with about 30 counter-protesters. Folkestone based anti-immigration campaigner Steve Laws told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The RNLI are acting as a taxi service.
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“The reality is they’re not going out and rescuing boats that are sinking in the middle of the Channel .They have done it maybe once or twice, I won’t take that away from them.
“But the overall majority that are coming over are being picked up mid-Channel by a phone call to the coastguard, they’re being told to go where they need to go to, they pick them up and they escort them back to Dover.
“They’re acting as a taxi service doing the exact same job that border force are doing.”
Mr Laws, who is standing as an independent for Dover at the next general election, thinks “There is an appetite for, say, a BNP 2.0 or something like that. There’s an appetite for that sort of party but the foundations aren’t laid at the moment.”
Members of various far-right and anti-immigration groups were in attendance. Tony Martin, chairman of the National Front, was in attendance and said: “It’s not our demo but I’ve come along to support it.
“There’s people here from across the political spectrum, some might support us others might not, it’s basically just a demonstration of people who are against the illegal immigrants.”
He argued the RNLI should save small boats which are in danger, but return them to France or their country of origin.
“I think a lot of the work they [the RNLI] do is actually good and it it is sickening that they’re actually going out to meet the refugee boats. Not only is it bad for us that they’re bringing refugees in, it’s actually encouraging refugees to risk their lives as well.”
Ex-Army member Rocky Ramharak was passing by and looking to get to his car, which was behind the protest lines. “They don’t want immigrants, I can understand some of that point of view, to me it’s funny,” he said.
“My parents were immigrants, my mother came from Trinidad in the Caribbean and my father came from British Guyana.
My mum came here to study nursing and contribute from the country, my father came and joined the British army for 26 years, I was in the British Army, I served in the Marines, my little brother was in the Army so we’ve all done our bit for our Queen and country.
“Why are they angry at the immigrants? That’s exactly the government message of divide and conquer.”
Members of local refugee support groups and left-wing organisations mustered to oppose the demonstration, with chants such as “refugees are welcome here, racists are not.”
Kay Marsh, of refugee charity Samphire, said it was “extremely poor taste planning it outside the lifeboat station. Obviously those people are just trying to save lives, that’s what they do.”
“I think it’s disgusting, they’re all volunteers, the RNLI – their only priority is the preservation of life, they don’t see colour, they don’t see nationality, they see someone in danger and they save them.
“We need to stop the boats – obviously it doesn’t matter what side you’re on everybody knows we need to stop the boats because it’s a huge risk to life. It’s a very dangerous crossing.
“The only way we do that is safe, legal alternatives we need to give people a safe legal route to asylum.”
Local artist Byron Huggins also attended the counter demonstration, describing the right-wing protest as “a pointless waste of time.”
He said: “The RNLI brought my best friend’s body back when he passed away sadly. The RNLI has served this country longer and prouder than any other service around the world.
“They’re the best and most respected rescue organisation on the sea and they should be respected for that at the very least.”
He said that Britain’s multiculturalism should be celebrated as a “blessing,” and that anti-immigration politics is a distraction from real problems in the country.
“In Dover I think most people just don’t want this happening in their town,” he added.
Nobody was arrested at the protest, and both sides had dispersed by about 1.30pm.
