LONDON, 13 Sept. - (ANA) - A new far-right group behind violent anti-migrant protests in southern England is being led by an activist who previously received tens of thousands of dollars from a US-based pro-Israel organisation with a history of supporting Britain's anti-Muslim right.

 

Hundreds of far-right protesters descended on the UK's south coast over the weekend for two anti-immigration demonstrations. Dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, protesters blocked roads in Dover, while clashes broke out with police in Portsmouth as the group sought to prevent migrants from entering the country.

 

The group, calling itself Patriot Platform, was set up in June by Daniel Thomas, a close confidant of far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as "Tommy Robinson".

 

Thomas, who goes by the name "Danny Tommo", has emerged as a prominent figure in Britain's extremist anti-migrant movement. But his rise also highlights the links between sections of the British far right and wealthy conservative and pro-Israel networks in the United States.

 

Thomas previously received $32,000 from the Middle East Forum (MEF), a US-based anti-Islam and staunchly pro-Israel think tank that has also supported Yaxley-Lennon's activism.

 

The funding helped Thomas organise a major "Free Tommy" rally in London in 2018, despite him having only recently been released from prison and having no previous experience organising protests.

 

Now, eight years later, Thomas is attempting to build a nationwide network of masked activists that he has described as a "patriotic army".

 

 

 

 

Originally from Hayling Island near Portsmouth, the 37-year-old father of four is thought to have served as a tank driver with the King's Royal Hussars before being discharged early on medical grounds.

 

In 2016, he was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted over a drug-related attempted kidnapping. Portsmouth Crown Court heard that Thomas and two other men stormed into a man's house armed with knives and tried to drag him into the street, mistakenly believing he had stolen £10,000 worth of drugs from them.

 

After his release, Thomas styled himself as a born-again Christian and claims to have begun attending church every week.

 

It was around this period that he befriended Yaxley-Lennon and began making a name for himself as a far-right agitator. His first major involvement came when he helped organise the 2018 London demonstration supporting Yaxley-Lennon, who was then serving a 13-month jail sentence for contempt of court.

 

Since then, Thomas has established himself as a leading figure in Britain's far right, broadcasting anti-migrant videos to hundreds of thousands of followers online.

 

He has also worked with the far-right Raise the Colours movement, whose members hang British flags from lampposts and engage in anti-migrant activism.

 

Thomas has spoken of plans to deploy vessels in the English Channel to intercept migrant boats and lock down the port of Dover.

 

 

 

 

Thomas's emergence within the British far-right was aided by financial support from the Middle East Forum, a US-based think tank known for its strongly pro-Israel and anti-Islam positions.

 

US court documents show that the organisation gave Thomas a $32,000 grant in 2018 to fund the "Free Tommy" rally.

 

The funding places Thomas within a broader transatlantic network that has provided financial and political support to Yaxley-Lennon and other anti-Muslim activists in Britain.

 

The relationship between Thomas and the MEF appears to have broken down soon afterwards, however, with the organisation accusing him of misappropriating at least $7,000 of the grant for personal use.

 

Details of the relationship emerged six years ago when the think tank sued its then-communications chief, Lisa Barbounis.

 

In its unsuccessful lawsuit, the MEF alleged that Barbounis had begun a drug-fuelled affair with Thomas after the rally, leaked confidential information and failed to disclose his alleged misuse of grant money.

 

The dispute provided a rare glimpse into the financial networks that helped bankroll figures emerging from Britain's anti-Muslim street movement.

 

 

 

 

In June, Thomas launched Patriot Platform, which describes itself as an organisation for the "sons and daughters of this island" who want to "take our country back".

 

Its website says it wants to get "boots on the ground" to "organise, mobilise and act with purpose".

 

Thomas aims to establish cells of paramilitary-style protesters across the country that can be mobilised around anti-migrant campaigns.

 

Before setting up the group, Thomas said he had been "inspired" by an anti-migrant pogrom in Belfast earlier this year.

 

"We are going to produce a patriotic army of thousands and thousands of English and British men that are done with protesting, done with walking down roads, and want to make a difference," he said after visiting the city.

 

The Dover protest marked the group's first major public appearance. Footage posted on social media showed black-clad men jumping from the back of a truck before marching to block the road to the ferry terminal while chanting "Christ is King".

 

Thomas has claimed the movement is non-violent and operates within the law.

 

But in Portsmouth, hundreds of masked protesters clashed with police and vehicles were damaged. Hampshire Police said a small number of officers were injured.

 

Thomas subsequently blamed the violence on "lefties trying to make us look bad".

 

Several days later, he mobilised another group of black-clad supporters in central London, where they gathered outside the offices of the Daily Mail, which Thomas has accused of doxxing his mother.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/13 September 2026 - -