David Shannon, of Gillingham, and George Jenson, of Orpington, in court after Pembrokeshire Patriots immigration protest in Dover on May 29
17:44, 04 July 2021
updated: 18:36, 04 July 2021
Two men arrested and charged after a demonstration against illegal immigration are set to go on trial.
They were among four people swooped on by police in a protest in Dover on May 29, promoted by a group called Pembrokeshire Patriots.
George Jenson was remanded on unconditional bail until November 2 for trial at Margate Magistrates Court.
Jenson, 31, of Amherst Drive, Orpington, had appeared there on June 24.
He had pleaded not guilty to both assaulting PC Stephen Alexander and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour.
Jordan Ellis goes on trial at the same court on November 24 after pleading not guilty to resisting a police officer.
Ellis, 28, of Second Avenue, Dursley, Gloucestershire, was remanded on unconditional bail.
He appeared at Folkestone Magistrates Court last Wednesday, and had pleaded guilty to another charge, wilful obstruction of a highway, the A20. He will be sentenced for that at the trial.
A third defendant was David Shannon, 30, of Seaview Road, Gillingham, who appeared in the same court on Wednesday.
He pleaded guilty to wilful obstruction of a highway, also the A20.
He was fined £200 plus made to pay a victim surcharge of £34 and £85 in Crown Prosecution Service costs.
A fourth defendant pleaded guilty to threatening or abusive words or behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
Steven Tipple, 42, of Boswell Drive, Coventry, was given a conditional discharge and made to pay a victim surcharge of £22, plus CPS costs of £85.
He also appeared at the Folkestone court last Wednesday and the charge he admitted replaced one of threatening behaviour with intent to cause fear of violence.
All these offences, admitted or alleged, had happened during May's demonstration and march on Dover seafront and Snargate Street.
This had been a right wing Defend Our Borders event which had, police estimated, about 60 attending.
Red smoke canisters had been set off but the event was largely peaceful with no left wing counter-demonstration.
There was no visible presence of far right groups such as the National Front and English Defence League.
This march was similar to one held in Dover on September 5 with protesters coming to the port as asylum seekers are brought there after being picked up at sea by the Border Force.
The demonstrators are against this, saying it is not know if those brought in are criminals and they do not believe that they are properly vetted. The protesters do not accept being labelled as far right.
Last May's event was in sharp contrast to one on this issue in the town in January 2016, which led to full-scale rioting.
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