Failed D‑Day Style Protest Met Heavy Response

Adriana Stone 0 1 min read

Failed D‑Day Style Protest Met Heavy Response

Organizers in the UK announced a dramatic plan. They called it an Operation Overlord-style protest. The idea was to cross to Calais and Dunkirk and block migrant small boats.

It did not go to plan. French authorities moved fast. They banned gatherings between Calais and Dunkirk. They warned they would arrest and deport people who crossed from the UK.

Weather and logistics also worked against the protesters. Big numbers never arrived. Planned crossings were cancelled. Only a small group managed to reach a beach. They held flags and took photos. A separate event in Dover ended up as a small meet-up in a pub.

French police presence was heavy. Police Nationale and gendarmes were deployed. Reports say agents from the DGSI, France’s internal security service, were also involved. The show of force was meant to prevent disorder and to enforce the gathering ban.

Organizers had tried to vet participants and promised a non-violent demonstration. But the French response made it hard to carry out any large-scale action. Authorities said they would remove anyone who ignored the ban. That included threats of deportation for arrivals from the UK.

The protest leader, Daniel Thomas, has faced legal issues before and is reported to have been banned from France previously. Some accounts say he entered via Belgium.

Critics say French officials appeared more focused on stopping British protesters than on tackling the ongoing migrant crossings across the Channel. Supporters of the protest argued their aim was to draw attention to small-boat landings and to push for tougher UK border measures.

The event ended up small. It became a public-relations moment rather than a mass action. Organizers say they will regroup and plan next steps. For now, French bans, police numbers, and the weather kept things contained.

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