Nigel Farage has called for full face coverings to be banned in public “once and for all” after masked protesters gathered for anti-migrant demonstrations over the weekend.
The Reform UK leader labelled face coverings a “menace” and made clear he would ban religious ones as well.
It comes after crowds of masked, black-clad men blocked road access to the Port of Dover on Saturday, in scenes which were condemned by politicians of all parties.
And overnight on Sunday, official vehicles were damaged and a handful of police officers were injured during a stand-off with masked protesters in Portsmouth.
Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Farage referenced the protesters in Dover and said: “Now, I’m all for the protest. Plenty to protest about. But seriously, this is not the way to go about it.
“Because let’s be clear, face coverings are a menace. Whether it is a heavy-duty balaclava worn by a gang member or the dark mask of ‘Antifa’ extremists, their purpose is to bully and intimidate.”
He said seeing masked people in the streets should not be accepted as “part of modern Britain”.
“Which is why Reform UK is calling for a ban on all full-face coverings in public spaces,” the party leader continued.
“No ifs, no buts. And yes, that includes religious ones too.”
He added: “This is not a matter of targeting one group.
“It’s about saying that in a civilised society, people should be identifiable in public.”
Earlier on Monday, Patriot Platform founder Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo – an associate of right-wing activist Tommy Robinson – confronted Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf, telling him Mr Farage needs to be “careful with his words”.
Interrupting an interview the home affairs spokesman was conducting, Mr Thomas accused Mr Farage of calling protesters at the Unite the Kingdom rally in London earlier in the year “knuckle-draggers”.
Mr Thomas was a leader of the Portsmouth protest on Sunday.
Policing minister Sarah Jones has blamed the Conservatives for “the frustration we see in our communities today”.
Speaking in the Commons on Monday afternoon, she branded Patriot Platform, which claims to have organised the protest in Dover, as “far-right racist”.
She also told MPs: “Let us never forget that the frustration we see in our communities today is a product of chaos and crisis in the years that preceded the general election of 2024.
“Since then, this Government has taken action to fix the broken system we inherited and bear down on the people smugglers.”
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp hit back at her, saying: “If they’re serious about fixing this and ending public anger, they need to get serious about the measures – leave the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights) and deport illegal immigrants as soon as they arrive.
“Then people won’t be so angry.”
And Suella Braverman, a former Conservative home secretary, said people in her Hampshire constituency “are terrified, they are furious and they are desperate – they are not far-right racists”.
Approximately 120 migrants arrived in a boat near the Isle of Wight in the early afternoon on Sunday, Ms Jones told the Commons.
More than 200 protesters then attempted to stop three coaches which were due to take the arrivals for processing, she added.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has started an investigation into potential assaults and criminal damage, but Ms Jones said no arrests have been made so far.
Kent Police assistant chief constable Nigel Brookes said the only criminal offence under investigation was damage to a road.
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