Far-Right Road Blockades in Portsmouth Over Asylum-Seeker Boat

A crowd of hundreds of men in black clothing and balaclavas blocked roads in Portsmouth as a boat carrying asylum seekers entered the city’s waters. The protest continued until the early hours, when police used the threat of arrest to disperse the demonstrators. Hampshire Police reported damage to police, coastguard and Border Force vehicles and minor injuries to several officers, and opened investigations into assaults on officers and criminal damage. The blockade followed a similar incident in Dover two days earlier.

The Guardian

The Portsmouth action was organised by Daniel Thomas, a far-right activist who operates under the name “Danny Tommo” on social media and is closely linked to anti-Islam campaigner Tommy Robinson (Stephen Yaxley-Lennon). Thomas, who previously served a jail term for attempted kidnapping, described himself as a committed Christian and said the city had become “ground zero” for arrivals from France. He framed the use of masks as protection for members of his self-styled Patriot Platform against left-wing counter-protesters.

The Guardian

• An official spokesperson for Manchester mayor Andy Burnham condemned the behaviour, calling it “thuggish and intimidating” and stating that peaceful protest must not cross into disorder.

The Guardian

• Donna Jones, the Conservative police and crime commissioner for Hampshire, noted that a boat carrying 140 people had left near Cherbourg early Sunday and entered the Solent near Portsmouth about ten hours later. She warned that Portsmouth lacks the infrastructure to process arrivals and expressed concern that the town could become a preferred destination for people-smugglers.

The Guardian

• Protesters numbered in the “hundreds,” with estimates of 300–400 participants in Portsmouth.

The Guardian

• The intercepted vessel carried 140 asylum seekers.

The Guardian

• Small-boat arrivals have declined by over 40 % year-on-year, yet authorities fear a shift in smuggling routes toward ports lacking processing capacity.

The Guardian

• The incidents have prompted calls from government officials and civil-society groups for clearer policing strategies and for preventing Portsmouth from becoming a new focal point for irregular migration.

The Guardian

• “The intimidating and thuggish behaviour we saw over the weekend in Dover and Portsmouth is absolutely unacceptable. We condemn it unreservedly. We’ll always respect the right to peaceful protest but not where it crosses the line into disorder.” — official spokesperson, andy burnham’s official

The Guardian