Danny "Tommo" Thomas, 37, has become a leading figure in a new wave of anti-migrant protests after hundreds of demonstrators brought Dover to a standstill. The activist, whose real name is Daniel Thomas, is the founder of Patriot Platform, a group campaigning against small-boat arrivals which he has described as an "invasion".
Mr Thomas was filmed at the Port of Dover on Saturday alongside around 300 men who blocked roads and brought traffic into the UK's busiest ferry port to a halt for hours. The protest came as hundreds more demonstrators gathered in Portsmouth on Sunday after a small boat was reported off the Hampshire coast.
Background and criminal conviction
Mr Thomas, a father of four from Hampshire, has a criminal conviction for attempted kidnapping and was jailed for two years in 2016, reported The Times. He had burst into a man's home with two other men, armed with knives, and shouted: "You're coming with us." The group wrongly believed the man had stolen £10,000 worth of drugs. The judge described the incident as an "extraordinarily frightening" episode matched only by its "stupidity".
After his release from prison, Mr Thomas said he had changed his life and become a regular churchgoer. "I now go to church every Sunday and pray for forgiveness," he said. But he subsequently became a close associate of Tommy Robinson and increasingly involved himself in anti-immigration activism.
Activism and Patriot Platform
Mr Thomas has previously organised a UKIP rally and helped organise a Brexit Betrayal march protesting against what he regarded as a watering down of the EU referendum result. He later gave up work as a bricklayer, sales and marketing manager and web design company owner to become a full-time activist.
Patriot Platform was launched this summer and Mr Thomas has portrayed it as a movement of patriotic Christians prepared to put pressure on the Government over immigration. In June, he called for supporters to "build an army of patriots" and said it was time to "get boots on the ground". He denies the organisation is far-right and insists its message is non-violent.
Speaking to Dan Wootton in August, Mr Thomas said: "I believe if this were ever to turn into a violent movement, it would destroy everything we've worked for." He has also described Patriot Platform as a "Christian patriotic army". Thomas claimed more than 40,000 people had signed up, although campaigners have questioned the figure.
Dover protest and aftermath
At Dover on Saturday, masked protesters dressed largely in black blocked roads leading to the port while chanting "stop the boats". The disruption caused miles of traffic queues and prevented access to the ferry terminal.
Thomas later claimed responsibility for the action, writing on X that "this is only the beginning". He said: "We had total control. A message was sent! Now imagine how powerful the next message will be."
Kevin Mills, leader of Dover District Council, criticised the police response, saying demonstrators had "caught several agencies on the hoof". Kent Police said no arrests were made and described the incident as a "spontaneous protest". The Dover demonstration has raised questions over whether authorities were sufficiently prepared for the growing anti-migrant movement. And with further protests now taking place in other coastal towns, Thomas appears determined to turn Patriot Platform into a national force.
