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More on KentOnline
Ten people were arrested after environmental campaigners came together for a planned blockade at Dover Eastern Docks today.
Organised by protest group Extinction Rebellion (XR), about 100 people gathered to cut off two of the port's primary exit roads for four hours.
Campaigners from Extinction Rebellion protesting in Dover
It was reported that some protesters had glued themselves to an westbound section of the A20 in the town, with witnesses claiming one was taken away in a stretcher after sticking their hands to the road.
Police confined the demonstrators to a cordoned off area between 11am and 3pm, warning they risked arrest if they left.
A notice from Kent Police said the measure has been taken "due to the time and place of this intended public assembly, its purpose and the intention of the organisers."
A brief closure was enforced on the A2 Jubilee Way shortly after 11am due to a small group of people obstructing the carriageway and they were safely removed within around 15 minutes.
Traffic moving in and out of Dover remained flowing throughout the day, with some levels of expected congestion.
Ten people have been arrested on suspicion of public order offences and they remain in custody as inquiries continue. Police would not confirm reports that a 91-year-old man was among those arrested.
Chief superintendent Andy Pritchard, from Kent Police, said: "Disruption from the protest has been kept to a minimum due to the work of our the officers and partners.
"The force is grateful to everyone who co-operated with efforts to ensure the rights of the protestors, and the wider public, were respected and it is pleasing we haven’t seen levels of disruption greater than what could be reasonably expected.’"
The Port of Dover tweeted to say traffic was moving freely in and out of the docks, although ferry operator DFDS reported delays in boarding and discharging passengers.
The protest group previously warned that this will cause major traffic disruption in and around the harbour.
Extinction Rebellion also took over Dover Castle and hung a banner on the castle wall in support of the blockade.
Chris Atkins, of XR Dover, said: “The government is saying and doing precious little to prepare us for what we know is coming.
“As climate change develops, millions of ordinary Britons will face the real and growing threat of food shortages, hunger and starvation.
“Extreme storms and floods are already causing major crop failures across the world, with high temperatures also hitting livestock agriculture.
"This growing crisis may seem far away now but, as the UK imports around half the food it consumes, we are extremely vulnerable to these climate impacts.
“The government must tell the truth and act now.
"The longer we kick the can down the road, the greater the risks of price hikes, food shortages, hunger and, ultimately, starvation here in Britain.
“We’re sorry for disrupting journeys but the British public deserves to know the truth.
"If the government refuses to even talk about this, then someone else must.”
The day - titled No Food On A Dying Planet - also included a family-friendly celebration of music and information on how to help stave off the threat of starvation.
Speaking to KentOnline at the protest, XR member Peter Batt said: "Climate change isn't just about warming temperatures, it is also disrupting food production.
"As a nation, we import about half of the food that we consume, so we are very vulnerable to changes in global patterns in that respect.
"We are actually directing this (protest) at the government, because we want them to start talking about this rather than ignoring it and actually start a process of taking action so we can improve our own agricultural resillience.
"We are not actually directing this at ordinary people although it may feel that way because obviously we are causing disruption, but we feel that we don't really have any choice.
"If the government are not going to listen to their own experts and scientists then we believe we have to raise public awareness so the public will start putting pressure on the government.
"Even in our short 10 month history, this is a tried and tested approach and we have, the research would suggest, significantly changed the nature of the narrative on all climate change issues."
Similar protests in France and Belgium are coincided with the blockade.
