Anti-immigration activist slashes dinghy with knife while rescue worker was onboard
Far-right activist Daniel Thomas used a blade to slash an inflatable dinghy in the Channel while a rescue worker stood on it, drawing sharp condemnation from refugee charities.
British charities have strongly condemned footage showing far-right activist Daniel Thomas, who goes by Danny Tommo, slashing an inflatable dinghy in the English Channel with a blade while a rescue worker was standing on board.
On Tuesday afternoon, Thomas tracked two dinghies carrying asylum seekers from France in a small boat of his own. As rescue workers helped the passengers onto larger rescue vessels, Thomas approached one of the now-empty dinghies and, in a livestream watched by around 100,000 people, stabbed it repeatedly with a knife, shouting: "This is England. This is not France any more." When he noticed a rescue worker had stepped onto the boat, he shouted for the person to get off before speeding away.
The Joint Council for Welfare of Immigrants condemned the act as violent and dangerous. Stand Up to Racism noted on social media that Thomas already has a prior conviction for a knife-related offence, calling the incident disgusting. Thomas previously served two years in prison for attempted kidnapping.
Protests in Gosport
That evening, hundreds of protesters gathered in Gosport, Hampshire, hoping to disrupt the disembarkation of the asylum seekers, but Border Force vessels instead diverted them to Dover, more than 150 miles away. Thomas, who this summer united several nationalist groups under the banner Patriot Platform, had called on followers via social media to gather in Gosport.
According to the RNLI, the rescued individuals had spent 36 hours at sea — believed to be the longest recorded crossing time for small-boat passengers. The French coastguard said around 60 migrants spent more than 33 hours at sea in precarious conditions, refusing assistance as they were determined to reach the UK.
Hampshire's police and crime commissioner, Donna Jones, said she had urged Border Force to redirect the migrants to Dover, arguing Hampshire was not equipped to handle the arrival and the accompanying protest activity. The RNLI stressed that its role is not political, saying it rescues anyone in danger at sea without judgment.
