Daniel Thomas dinghy arrest inquiry
The gist
UK activist Daniel Thomas, 37, was charged over slashing a Channel dinghy with a coastguard aboard.
The case tests how far anti-migrant protest can go before it turns criminal.
How it unfolded
- Sep 9, 2026Thomas, known as Danny Tommo, left the Daily Mail's London offices after leading a group of men in balaclavas to protest the paper's reporting of his mother's details.
- Sep 22, 2026Thomas live-streamed footage appearing to show him slashing an empty dinghy in the English Channel with a knife while a French coastguard official was still on board, after about 50 migrants who had travelled from Normandy were taken to Dover for processing.
- Sep 22, 2026Hundreds of activists gathered at a marina in Gosport, near Portsmouth, as Thomas filmed himself going out to sea to try to intercept a dinghy carrying dozens of migrants; police said three people were charged with assaulting an emergency worker during the demonstration.