Key takeaways:
- Thomas, 37, remained in custody Thursday after his arrest on suspicion of criminal damage with intent to endanger life and maritime offences.
- About 50 migrants who travelled from Normandy had been taken to Dover before the boat was damaged.
- Thomas organized protests in Dover and Portsmouth in early September and founded Patriot Platform earlier this year.
British police have arrested anti-migrant activist Daniel Thomas after video appeared to show him slashing an inflatable boat in the English Channel while a French coastguard official was still on board. About 50 migrants who had travelled in the boat from Normandy had already been taken to Dover for processing.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said the 37-year-old was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage with intent to endanger life, an offence under the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990 involving the destruction of ships, and conduct endangering ships under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. He remained in custody, police said Thursday.
The incident happened Tuesday afternoon. Police had said they were examining footage that Thomas, known to supporters as Danny Tommo, live-streamed from the Channel. The boat had an emergency responder on board when it was damaged, the force said. The BBC reported that the responder was a French coastguard official.
According to Al Jazeera, Thomas approached the dinghy in a yellow speedboat while broadcasting to more than 15,000 viewers. The outlet reported that the footage showed him pulling out a knife and slashing the inflatable hull as a French official from the coastguard vessel Abeille Liberte remained aboard.
“This is English territory, it is not France anymore,” Thomas is heard shouting in the footage, Al Jazeera reported. Thomas later said his aim was to ensure “that is one boat that won’t be used again,” according to the outlet.
Al Jazeera reported that police detained Thomas at a petrol station Wednesday evening. Tommy Robinson, a far-right activist, shared video of the arrest on social media late Wednesday and claimed it was connected to an effort to “stop the invasion of our country”. That was Robinson’s characterization of Thomas’s actions, not a statement from police. Al Jazeera identified Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, as a close associate of Thomas.
Thomas organized anti-migrant protests in Dover and Portsmouth in early September. Hundreds of demonstrators blocked roads, and the BBC reported that some groups included men wearing black balaclavas. Thomas founded Patriot Platform earlier this year and has sought support for what he calls “mass resistance” to “take our country back”.
The episode comes amid continued debate in Britain over crossings of the English Channel. More than 41,000 people made the journey last year, Al Jazeera reported. The outlet said successive British governments have struggled to stop the crossings, while politicians and anti-immigration activists have made the issue a rallying point.
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