RNLI Station Closed After Volunteers Face Abuse from Anti-Migrant Protesters
Lifeboat crews, who recently provided safety cover for demonstrators, have been targeted with abuse and doxxing.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has temporarily suspended services at its Portsmouth station following a campaign of harassment against its volunteers. Anti-migrant protesters have subjected RNLI crews to physical and online abuse, including the publication of personal details, after the charity rescued migrants crossing the English Channel.
Volunteers have been branded "traitors" and advised to refrain from wearing their uniforms in public to avoid confrontations. The abuse has led the RNLI to take the Portsmouth station "off-service" to "review crew safety and wellbeing," according to Jacqui Irons, the south-east regional head. "We have a duty of care to our people," she stated.
In a poignant twist, it has emerged that RNLI volunteers recently provided safety cover for some of these same anti-migrant protesters. Images from a September 6 protest show lifeboat crews on standby as demonstrators entered the water to film rescue operations. The RNLI's chief executive, Peter Sparkes, confirmed that four lifeboats were dispatched on that occasion "to also stand by for safety reasons while large numbers of protesters were in and near the water."
One volunteer, identified only as Neil, recounted to the BBC how he was falsely identified online by activists and called a traitor. "We were there, purely for the safety of the protesters in the water," he said, adding, "It would be nice for those people who called me a traitor to know that I'm not a traitor."
The charity has stated that while the Portsmouth station is temporarily unavailable, search and rescue coverage for the area continues through contingency arrangements with nearby stations. This situation is not unprecedented, as lifeboat stations across the UK and Ireland occasionally go offline for maintenance or operational reasons.
The backlash against the RNLI followed a rescue on September 6, where two lifeboats brought 120 migrants ashore at Eastney Point. Demonstrators gathered to protest the migrants' arrival, and subsequent events led to multiple charges of violent disorder and injuries to police officers.
Adding to the confusion and harassment, protesters have mistakenly targeted other organizations. The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) was forced to issue a statement clarifying that it is "not the lifeboat people" after being mistaken for the RNLI and receiving threats.
In response to the online abuse, particularly the doxxing of volunteers, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has pledged to strengthen laws to make the leaking of personal details online a criminal offense. She has scheduled meetings with social media companies to address the issue. Nandy specifically criticized X, formerly Twitter, for its executives' failure to attend a meeting on the matter, calling the platform "an utter disgrace."
RNLI Chief Executive Peter Sparkes has condemned the abusive actions, stating that misinformation has fueled a misunderstanding of the charity's role. He noted that only 1.2% of the RNLI's rescues last year involved incidents in the Channel, with the vast majority of its work focused elsewhere. Despite the challenges, the backlash has also reportedly led to a surge in donations to the RNLI.