Men in custody for live broadcasting discriminatory content to YouTube likely to incite hatred, police say
Two far-right British activists have been arrested by French authorities in what is believed to be the first case of its kind.
The arrests followed an order issued on Friday prohibiting British participants in a planned “stop the boats” protest, dubbed Operation Overlord, in the departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais. The order was due to expire at 8am on Monday but it has been extended for two more days.
UK far-right activists have been travelling to northern France with increasing frequency in recent months with a declared intention of stopping small boats from crossing the Channel, something they say French and UK governments have failed to do.
In 2025 more than 40,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats, and so far in 2026 931 people have made the journey. On these visits far-right agitators have posted footage of themselves slashing dinghies and confronting migrants.
