The British government has condemned what it called “intimidating and thuggish behavior” by anti-immigrant demonstrators who converged on a port in southern England late Sunday. The protesters attempted to prevent lifeboats from bringing migrants ashore after they crossed the English Channel and later tried to block buses carrying them to an asylum seeker processing facility.
The Portsmouth demonstration occurred a day after a similar event in Dover, where masked protesters blocked roads leading to the busy ferry port, causing traffic disruptions. Both demonstrations reportedly were led by Daniel Thomas, an associate of far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson.
In a statement, the government affirmed the fundamental right to peaceful protest but stated it “must never cross a line into disorder.”
This incident highlights the ongoing challenge faced by successive UK governments in stemming the flow of people crossing the English Channel. In the past year, more than 40,000 individuals made the perilous journey. The issue has been a significant point of political discourse, with figures like Nigel Farage of the Reform UK party labeling it a crisis and anti-immigration activists using it as a rallying point.
The boat carrying approximately 140 people to Portsmouth had departed from Normandy, a departure point west of the usual locations near Calais, making it a longer and more dangerous voyage. According to a spokesperson for Britain’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency, lifeboats, a coastguard helicopter, and a plane were involved in the operation to bring the migrants to safety.