Government Criticizes Anti Migrant Protesters As Intimidating

The government has condemned “intimidating and thuggish” anti-migrant protesters after hundreds of demonstrators faced off with police in Portsmouth.

They blocked roads for hours in the second major anti-migrant protest of the weekend.

Large crowds of masked, black-clad men blocked road access to the Port of Dover on Saturday, in scenes which have been condemned by politicians, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

On Sunday night, another protest took place after around 140 migrants in a single dinghy were rescued in the English Channel as it headed for the Hampshire coast.

It is thought to have made one of the longest journeys of any small boat.

The protesters, many of them wearing masks, said they were determined to prevent authorities from transporting the migrants to the Manston processing centre in Kent.

They blocked traffic along the road leading away from Eastney Marina, with photos showing police carrying riot shields forming a line and protecting a number of coaches that were parked up.

Early on Monday morning, 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.”

Livestreaming while standing in the sea at Eastney beach, Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo – an associate of ring-wing activist Tommy Robinson – said: “Roads are all blocked, they are never going to be able to leave here.”

He added: “It was only yesterday (at the protests in Dover) when we warned them that we will not accept this any more, and that this is no longer an option to tell us that the boat numbers are down.

“This isn’t about the numbers being down… this is about understanding that this has to come to an end now.”

Cllr George Madgwick, leader of Reform UK in Hampshire, posted on X that “over 100 migrant men” had arrived on the Portsmouth shores on Sunday.

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.”

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.”

The Port of Dover rally was criticised by politicians from all parties, with questions expected to be raised on Monday over whether Kent Police were prepared for it, and there could be similar criticism of Hampshire Police.

The demonstrations brought traffic on routes to the UK’s busiest international ferry and passenger port to a halt, delaying some ferry services and blocking major roads, but there were no arrests.

Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds criticised the demonstrations, which saw protesters march through Dover chanting “Whose streets? Our streets” and “Stop the boats”.

Mr Reynolds told Sky News he condemned the behaviour and the disruption it caused, adding: “Peaceful protest – essential part of British life, but that’s not dressing up in costumes like this and disrupting people’s lives.”

On the same programme, Reform UK economic spokesman Robert Jenrick said: “I don’t like people going around in balaclavas, which is obviously very intimidating. In fact, our party’s policy is to ban face coverings like that.”

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