Full Breakdown
Far-Right Protest in Gosport Over Rumored Migrant Landing
By Drooid · · How we work
Protest and Far-Right Mobilisation
In late September, hundreds gathered in Gosport’s Falkland Gardens after social-media posts suggested authorities might land asylum seekers in the town. The crowd included masked followers of anti-migrant activist Daniel Thomas, who calls himself “Danny Tommo”. Earlier that day, Thomas was filmed slashing an inflatable dinghy in the Channel while a rescue worker was aboard. Local resident Alan Dale, a retired Royal Navy veteran, described the scene as a “show of force” by far-right activists, noting that children were heard chanting “let them drown” through a megaphone. Red and white posters bearing the word “resistance” and slogans such as “protecting our children’s future” were displayed on lampposts. Police arrested six people, including two outsiders from Salisbury, on suspicion of aggravated trespass.
Background and Misinformation
The protest was sparked by rumors that the Home Office planned to disembark migrants in Gosport. Home Office sources have insisted there was no such plan. The small boat carrying 51 people instead completed a 33-hour crossing and docked in Dover, Kent, in the early hours of the following day.
Political Context and Official Reactions
Reform UK figures, including Hampshire MP and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, praised the gathering as an example of “people power”. The Home Office’s denial of a landing plan highlighted the gap between official policy and local perception. Thomas now faces a police inquiry over his knife-wielding incident at sea.
Community Responses
Local voices displayed a range of attitudes. A man involved in youth work, who declined to be named, noted that some Portsmouth residents were organising fund-raising gigs for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). In a Bible study at Holy Trinity church, retired priest Margaret Hay reflected that “Jesus was an immigrant too,” while young congregant Tyler Palmer recalled Gosport’s historic diversity, citing Turkish sailors from World II and warning that “fear-mongering on social media” fuels the unrest.
Funding Initiative Amid Tensions
The nearby Rowner area recently received up to £20 million from the government’s Pride in Place programme, a strategic effort launched under Prime Minister Keir Starmer to counter rising nationalism and far-right sentiment in communities where such views have gained traction.