Anti-immigrant vigilantes who have carried out plots to slash small boats and harass migrants on French beaches have identified a new target for their “patriotic activism” – each other.
The two leaders of a group which had been plotting to recruit “hundreds of men” to join them in travelling to France where they have filmed YouTube videos of themselves attempting to intercept Channel crossings have split up – and are now plotting competing “operations”.
In one corner stands privately educated Daniel Thomas – who calls himself Danny Tommo online – plotting to ignore a ban on far-right activists entering France and sneak groups of men into the country under the banner of “Operation Overlord”.
In the other is Ryan Bridge, who founded the Raise the Colours group, which spearheaded efforts to put England flags up across the country, and is now mobilising his own social media following to take part in “Operation Stop the Boats”.
Thomas was forced out of Raise the Colours last week, shortly after news broke that the French government had barred 10 “far-right” activists with links to the flag-raising group from entering the country, alongside the message “violent or hate-inciting actions have no place on our territory”.
The French government did not name the individuals that have been banned, but it is understood that it includes Thomas, a former bodyguard of far-right activist Tommy Robinson, who describes himself as a “right-wing patriot”.
Anyone in breach of the immigration and border protection order “can be forcibly removed from France”, the French government has said. “The Minister of the Interior determines the country of return or, if the foreigner cannot be immediately removed, orders his or her placement under house arrest,” it added.
‘Secret’ mission to evade ban discussed with thousands of followers
The real Operation Overlord – the Allies’ invasion of occupied Europe during the Second World War, beginning on D-Day, 1944 – was considered a complete success and was planned in absolute secrecy.
Thomas’ version of Overlord was originally discussed openly in a pub over a fish and chip supper alongside Bridge when the two were still cooperating under Raise the Colours.
Now, he is sharing his plans online with his thousands of social media followers. He intends to bring 10 carloads of men to Calais despite the French ban, he says.
“They will never find me,” Thomas’ latest video claims. On previous trips to France, he has narrated his journey in detail and broadcast recognisable landmarks, allowing his location to be easily geolocated.
Ryan Bridge (left) and Elliott Stanley, co-founders of Raise the Colours, in a video setting out allegations against Danny Tommo (Photo: Raise the Colours)“Now we are going to take bigger steps to make sure the English and the British have a presence on those beaches and in those local communities making sure they [the French authorities] realise that they have done one of the worst things they could possibly do,” Thomas said, responding to the ban.
While calling for no violence, he added: “They are testing us and we will happily oblige…. It needs to be done now.”
His plan involves bringing men to Calais later this month, but Thomas has also called on women and men to head to Dover on the same day, saying women can have a role to play in keeping the men calm. He has repeatedly said he will share maps and locations for people to gather and provide information on logistics, but this information has so far not been seen.
Mud-slinging and allegations as spat goes public
Since Thomas’ removal from Raise the Colours, the group has been in free-fall. Following an initial denial, Thomas entered into a public spat, with both sides firing off angry messages on their social channels.
Unproven allegations of theft, fraud and misuse of donations have been made, as well as accusations both sides are chasing fame. No evidence has been supplied by either side and all vehemently denying any wrongdoing.
Comments under their posts show it has similarly left their followers divided.
In response to an Instagram post by Raise the Colours, Thomas wrote: “WHAT THE F***! WHAT A LOAD OF BULLS***! ALL THIS BECAUSE I’VE GONE AHEAD WITH OPERATION OVERLORD! INFIGHTING DESTROYS EVERYTHING! A SAD DAY!”
The flag-raising group responded: “STOP NOW or we will publish the voice notes. tick tock”, followed by a crying with laughter emoji.
One supporter commented: “Fully grown men acting like this on social media… honestly it’s cringe reading.”
In more united days: Anti-migrant vigilantes Daniel Thomas, right, and Ryan Bridge, on a beach in the north of France (Photo: Raise the Colours)A disagreement appears to have been rumbling before news of the ban. The two sides clashed over the speed of efforts to bring an army of men to France, and over the level of acceptable risk that any trip may escalate into violence.
At the end of November, Raise the Colours began circulating a vetting form to block “lefties” and “people who are MI5” from infiltrating their recruitment drive.
Thomas, who has repeatedly publicly said he does not want a riot nor condones violence, said in recent videos that he was unhappy with the cautious and slow approach.
“I have ten cars ready to go…they’re full of five men in each car. They’re all good lads… They all invested. They all know that none of them are there to cause any dramas. Those cars and people on boats, on foot and by plane, will be entering France,” he said.
Planned disruption being monitored by police
Kent Police confirmed to The i Paper they are aware of a planned protest in Dover later this month, saying: “The force will have sufficient resources in place to both facilitate peaceful protests and keep any disruption to the wider public to a minimum.”
@theipaperAnti-migrant vigilantes who have been harassing migrants on Calais beaches and slashing the small boats they use to cross the Channel have been banned from entering France. Ten activists linked to flag-raising group Raise the Colours are covered by the ban. The i Paper first revealed in November how the same vigilantes were filming themselves travelling to beaches in France to “destroy” small boats and later overheard in a pub discussing a new plot to misdirect police and send groups of British men to join their efforts, under the banner of “Operation Overlord”. Tap the link to read this exclusive story in full. Credit: raisethecolours-org-uk/YouTube
♬ original sound – The i PaperAn escalation in anti-migrant activism comes after the Government set out sweeping reforms to asylum policies aimed at tackling illegal migration, including making it harder to gain settlement in the UK.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This Government is bearing down on small boat crossings.
“We have stopped 40,000 crossing attempts since this Government came into office through our joint work with the French. We have detained and removed almost 50,000 people who were here illegally. Our pilot deal with the French means those who arrive on small boats are now being sent back.
“The Home Secretary has also announced the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in modern times, removing the incentives that bring illegal migrants to the UK and scaling up the return of those with no right to be here.”
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