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RNLI Portsmouth Lifeboat Station Temporarily Closed After Anti-Migrant Protests
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RNLI Portsmouth Station Closed Amid Anti-Migrant Protests
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) suspended operations at its Portsmouth Lifeboat Station in Eastney on September 10, after volunteers who rescued 120 migrants from a single dinghy were subjected to online abuse, address-leaks and threats. Protesters in Portsmouth branded the volunteers “traitors” and warned them not to wear RNLI uniforms. Police investigations were opened into the doxxing of volunteers’ personal details.
Background: Rescue Operations and Migrant Arrivals
The RNLI’s rescue of the 120 migrants was part of a broader pattern of small-boat crossings from France. A separate rescue earlier in the month brought 140 people ashore from another dinghy. The charity’s lifesaving mission in the English Channel has drawn heightened public attention, and confusion online led some anti-immigrant demonstrators to target the RNIB, a blind-people’s charity, mistakenly believing it to be the “lifeboat people.”
Official Responses
He emphasized that contingency arrangements with nearby stations would maintain search-and-rescue coverage while Portsmouth remains offline.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) issued a clarification stating it is “not the lifeboat people” and urged the public to direct criticism at the RNLI, not the charity.
Impact on Volunteers and Related Organizations
Volunteer addresses and photographs were posted publicly, prompting safety advisories from the RNLI. The Poole Old Lifeboat Museum also shut temporarily after verbal assaults on its volunteers. The RNLI’s Eastney Facebook page was taken down, and the organization advised staff to avoid wearing uniforms in public until the threat level subsides.
Verbatim Quote
- “The RNLI exists to save lives at sea, and any disruption to that mission could have serious consequences for those in need of urgent assistance,” — Mr Adam McCaig, chief inspector “The RNLI exists to save lives at sea, and any disruption to that mission could have serious consequences for those in need of urgent assistance,” — Mr McCaig, chief