British anti-migrant activist, Daniel Thomas, has been arrested after a video appeared to show him using a knife to slash at a migrant boat in the English Channel.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said a 37-year-old man of no fixed abode was arrested following damage to a boat carrying an emergency responder in the Channel.
The man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage with intent to endanger life, “destroying ships” under the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990 and “conduct endangering ships” under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. He remains in police custody.
Police had earlier said they were investigating footage livestreamed by Thomas, who is also known among his supporters as Danny Tommo, on Tuesday.
A French coastguard official was reportedly aboard the vessel when Thomas appeared to slash at it.
About 50 migrants who had travelled from Normandy on the boat had already been taken to Dover for processing.
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson later shared footage of Thomas being arrested on social media, claiming it was connected to an attempt to “stop the invasion of our country”.
Thomas had organised anti-migrant demonstrations in Dover and Portsmouth earlier in September, with hundreds of protesters taking part and roads blocked during the protests.
He has also been using his Patriot Platform venture, which he founded earlier this year, to campaign for “mass resistance” to “take our country back”.
