The National Front and EDL are among the groups in Dover (Picture: WENN)

Clashes between far-right groups and anti-fascist protesters have descended into chaos in a service station near Dover.

Violence erupted between the two groups as they were on their way to counter-demonstrations in the coastal Kent town.

The clashes erupted in a service station (Picture: Lee Thomas)

Right wingers used sticks and debris found around the service station car park to attack opposing demonstrators and vandalise vehicles.

One man has been arrested, and a number parked coaches were damaged.


Neo-Nazis have painted swastikas ‘in blood’ on coaches

A swastika painted on the side of a coach (Picture: @bat020/Twitter)

Anindya Bhattacharyya, 44, from Whitechapel, told the Guardian: ‘They were wearing Combat 18 T-shirts and one had an Enoch Powell T-shirt.

‘They were running at the anti-fascist demonstrators and there was some argy-bargy, things were chucked back and forth.

A demonstrator after being attacked (Picture: WENN)

‘And then the anti-fascists went back to their coaches and the group of fascists basically tooled up with bits of wood and bins.



‘They attacked one of our coaches and smashed up the windows and one of them came and daubed a swastika in blood on the side of one of the coaches.’

They have also smashed the windows of vehicles in the area

The windows of coaches have been smashed (Picture: @bat020/Twitter)

me and a friend were stuck in the service station as it kicked off. overheard a Nazi trying to explain to staff what the hell was going on. — bat020 (@bat020) January 30, 2016

Right wingers had planned to target Diane Abbott

Abbott was a target (Picture: Rise Up/Facebook)

The demonstration was planned in advance, and supporters of the ‘South East Alliance’ had claimed they would try and target Labour MP Diane Abbott – a speaker at the anti-fascist demonstration.

Despite the threats, Diane Abbott still addressed the counter-demo

Diane Abbott addressing anti-fascist demonstrators (Picture: PA)

Police have been attempting to control the crowds

DOVER update: Police keeping large pro-refugee and smaller anti-refugee demonstrators apart. pic.twitter.com/19E6ESVZNn — Kent 999s (@Kent_999s) January 30, 2016

And have cordoned off the coaches anti-fascist demonstrators were waiting on

Anti-migrant groups kicked off in Dover (Picture: WENN)

A Kent Police spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘Kent Police was called at 10.51am to a report of a disturbance at the Junction 8 services on the M20.

A number of coaches have been damaged in the incident and officers are currently at the scene carrying out enquiries. Another coach that left the scene has been stopped by officers at the Junction 11 services and enquiries are also ongoing there.

‘One man has been arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon.’

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