Chaotic scenes unfolded in Portsmouth on Sunday evening as hundreds of anti-migrant protestors clashed with police following the arrival of approximately 140 asylum seekers. The group had been rescued from a dinghy and brought ashore.
Footage shared on social media depicted demonstrators near Eastney beach chanting slogans such as "stop the boats" and "enough is enough." The protest is believed to have been organized in part by Daniel Thomas, an associate of Tommy Robinson, whose Patriot Platform group had previously organized a demonstration at the Port of Dover.
The asylum seekers' boat reached British waters around lunchtime on Sunday. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), a HM Coastguard helicopter, and a plane were deployed to assist the vessel and ensure the occupants reached the shore safely. Around 140 individuals are estimated to have arrived in Portsmouth.
As protestors converged on the area, police cordoned off Eastney, with an estimated 500 demonstrators lining surrounding streets in an attempt to block the asylum seekers' transport to an immigration center. The protestors remained in the area until nearly midnight. Social media videos showed confrontations with officers, with one clip appearing to show a riot officer being pushed from a motorbike.
Officers with shields were seen ordering the crowd to retreat, and pushing some away from a police van. Other footage captured riot officers appearing to be sprayed with water from super-soakers. Earlier in the day, some protestors entered the water, with Thomas heard on a livestream urging supporters to join them.
The dinghy had departed from the Bay of the Seine and was monitored for approximately 10 hours by rescue boats. French authorities deemed it unsafe to intercept the boat at sea, noting that departures from the Bay of the Seine are unusual given its distance from typical launch points near Calais.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed that HM Coastguard deployed lifeboats, a helicopter, an aeroplane, and rescue teams in response to the boat’s approach to the Hampshire coast. Border Force, Border Security Command, Hampshire Police, and South Central Ambulance Service were also dispatched to the scene.
Following their disembarkation, individuals were seen being escorted to buses. Councillor George Madgwick, leader of Reform UK in Hampshire, stated that over 100 migrant men had arrived. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage commented on the crossing originating from the Bay of the Seine, calling it a "joke."
This incident follows a recent meeting between Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron aimed at increasing efforts to reduce small boat crossings. Last month, a boat carrying a record number of migrants, estimated at over 230, crossed the English Channel. Earlier in the week, protestors, some claiming affiliation with Patriot Platform, blocked roads near the Port of Dover. Kent Police stated the Dover protest was a "spontaneous event."
A government spokesperson condemned the "intimidating and thuggish behaviour" and affirmed the right to peaceful protest, while thanking emergency services. Hampshire Constabulary reported that officers were present to prevent disorder and that a dispersal order was in place for the Portsmouth area. Border Force indicated that individuals would be transported outside of Hampshire for processing.