Badenoch would support a ban on face coverings at protests — MyJoyOnline

In the United Kingdom, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she would support a ban on face coverings during protests if police consider such a measure necessary. This was reported by MyJoyOnline.

Badenoch's statement came after protests in Dover on September 5, when men dressed in black clothing and balaclavas blocked main roads for several hours. The Conservative leader stressed that she respects people's right to protest but does not support the use of face coverings.

Kent Police position

Kent Police said it is considering using its legal power to require the removal of items that cover the face. Badenoch said she does not want people to use protests as a cover for crimes and believe they can avoid accountability by concealing their identity.

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At the same time, she linked the protests to the situation at the UK's border. Badenoch said there was a need to stop migrant boats and stated that she has a plan to do so. She also advocated for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights in order to deport and detain people who, in her words, should not be in the country.

Border crossing data

According to government data, the number of people who arrived in the UK in the first half of 2026 was 41% lower than in the same period of the previous year. Badenoch claims that this decline is not related to the actions of the Labour government.

The Home Office said that joint measures prevented more than 48,000 border-crossing attempts and enabled the seizure of 1,100 boats and engines after the election. French authorities, according to the department, prevented 4,300 crossing attempts and stopped 185 small-boat launches in the first three months of the new agreement between the UK and France.