Portsmouth: 500 blockaded the port, riot police cleared it at 3am
A day after Dover, masked protesters blocked the road from Portsmouth's port after a boat carrying about 140 people was rescued and landed. This time police used riot shields and a dispersal order.
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What happened
A dinghy from Normandy got into difficulty in UK waters and was rescued by two RNLI lifeboats and landed at Portsmouth. Around 500 demonstrators, many in black and masks, blocked the road out of Eastney for hours.
Police response
Hampshire Police formed lines with riot shields and issued a Section 14 order at about 3am on Monday, after which the crowd dispersed. A dispersal order runs until Monday evening. No arrest count has been published.
What the argument is about
A government spokesperson condemned intimidating and thuggish behaviour. Supporters say police guarded the boat rather than the coast; critics note the same masked playbook as Dover. Farage attacked the crossing itself.
Sources
- LBC report ↗
- Portsmouth News report ↗
- BritBrief on the Section 14 order ↗
- Thread: largest room ↗
- Thread: pepper spray claim ↗
- Thread: riot police lines ↗
- Thread: mocking the organiser ↗
- Thread: organiser in the sea ↗
- Thread: supporters on the retreat ↗
- Thread: nobody voted for this ↗
- Thread: police escorting arrivals ↗
- Thread: patriot platform ↗
- Thread: the numbers counterpoint ↗