Hundreds of protesters clashed with police in Portsmouth overnight in the second small boats demonstration of the weekend.
Crowds, many with their faces covered and in balaclavas, chanted “stop the boats” as they blocked roads attempting stop a coach of migrants being taken to the Manston asylum processing centre in Kent.
It came after 140 migrants were brought to shore in Hampshire after travelling to the UK on a single “mega-dinghy”.
It is the first small boat arrival in more than a week, according to Home Office data. The dinghy is thought to have made one of the longest journeys of any small boat – landings as far west as Hampshire are rare.
Footage shared online by Cllr George Madgwick, leader of Reform UK in Hampshire, showed coaches waiting to take the asylum seekers from an RNLI lifeboat at Eastney Marina to the processing centre in Kent.
However a group of an estimated 500 protesters gathered in an attempt to block routes out of the marina.
They blocked roads for hours and were vowing to stay all night in the second major anti-migrant protest of the weekend.
Overnight the Government condemned what it called the “thuggish behaviour” of some of the protesters.
A Government spokesperson said: “We condemn the intimidating and thuggish behaviour we are seeing tonight.
“The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but it must never cross a line into disorder.
“We thank the emergency services who are working to safely manage this situation.”
Who is behind the demonstrations?
Some of the demonstraters at Portsmouth were dressed in all black and wore face masks – similar to those who joined an anti-illegal migrant protest which blocked the Port of Dover on Saturday.
Daniel Thomas, a former bodyguard for far-right activist Tommy Robinson who a day earlier claimed credit for the protest in Dover, live-streamed himself joining the protest in Portsmouth and exhorting others to prevent the asylum seekers from leaving the area.
“We need a road blockage at the Eastney entrance of Portsmouth,” he said early in the stream. “Block the entrance of Eastney, completely and utterly, get the cars in the road. Take the keys out, and make sure none of the cars can be moved.”
He and others tried to approach the coaches via the beach but were prevented by a line of police which was later reinforced with riot police.
Robinson claimed on X that the protesters, some of whom spent several hours standing knee-deep in the sea, metres from the beach, were “blocking invader boats”. He also shared video of police who were apparently pushing back protesters in order to clear the road.
Hampshire Police urged people to avoid the area and said a dispersal order was in place, meaning anyone who fails to comply could be arrested.
They said: “This evening, we have been working alongside and assisting our partners from Border Force, Maritime & Coastguard Agency and Portsmouth City Council at Eastney Marina following the arrival of a boat crossing the Channel.
“We have officers in the area to ensure the prevention of any disorder. We ask that people please avoid the area. A dispersal order is in place until tomorrow evening. Anyone who refuses to comply with the direction to leave the area is liable for arrest.
“We can also confirm that Border Force has advised us that individuals will be transported outside of Hampshire for processing in the normal way after they have been safely disembarked.”
What has the response been?
Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe posted on social media about the incident saying “every single migrant” who arrived on the boat should be “sent home”, and said they were “invading Portsmouth”.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage posted: “This week Andy Burnham struck an agreement for 45 more officers on French beaches. Today a boat launched from Baie de Seine, 170 miles from Calais, arriving on the beaches of Hampshire for the very first time. This is a joke. Only Reform will send the boats back.”
The party’s economic spokesman Robert Jenrick posted: “The invasion comes to Portsmouth. Home of the Royal Navy. Reform will end this humiliation.”
Conservative MP for Isle of Wight East, Joe Robertson, posted: “Extremely concerning to see an illegal migrant crossing this far west.
“We don’t know if this migrant boat was headed for the Isle of Wight but I’ll be contacting the Home Office first thing. We need to know exactly what happened and if new routes are being used for mega-dinghies by people smugglers.”
A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson said: “In response to a report on September 6 of a small boat heading towards the Hampshire coast, HM Coastguard sent lifeboats, an HM Coastguard helicopter, an HM Coastguard aeroplane and HM Coastguard Rescue Teams.
“Border Force, Border Security Command, Hampshire Police and South Central Ambulance Service were also sent.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This Government is bearing down on dangerous small boat crossings and restoring control at our border. Joint efforts have seen over 48,000 crossing attempts prevented and 1,100 boats and engines seized since the election.
“We are making progress, with the number of small boat crossings down this year and the lowest number recorded for the month of July since 2020.
“But we must go further, which is why we have signed a payment-by-results deal with the French to put 40 per cent more boots on the ground on French beaches.”
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