Officers injured and vehicles damaged during anti-migrant protest in Portsmouth - as police hunt suspects

Police officers were injured and vehicles damaged during an anti-migrant protest in Portsmouth.

Demonstrators clashed with police after a boat carrying migrants arrived in the city on Sunday.

They blocked roads for hours and vowed to stay all night in the second major anti-migrant protest in two days, following a similar demonstration in Dover on Saturday.

The government condemned "thuggish" behaviour, with Sky correspondent Barnaby Papadopoulos reporting from Portsmouth that demonstrators had thrown objects at police.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said it was investigating potential assaults and criminal damage.

Police said around 200 demonstrators were dispersed at about 4am on Monday.

A spokesperson said: "A number of police, Coastguard and Border Force vehicles were damaged during the evening.

"A small number of officers were treated at the scene for injuries, but no-one in attendance from any agency or the public was seriously injured."

Eight boats carrying 625 people crossed the Channel on Sunday, according to Home Office data.

The boat that arrived in Portsmouth left from the Jobourg region of Normandy and reportedly had about 140 people on board.

It made a much longer journey that most migrant boats, and landings as far west as Hampshire are rare.

The boat was met in the Channel by two RNLI boats, who took the migrants to Eastney harbour in Portsmouth.

One of the protest organisers - anti-immigrant activist Danny Thomas, known as Danny Tommo - later challenged Reform's Zia Yusuf, who had gone to the scene.

Mr Thomas urged Reform's home affairs spokesman to tell Nigel Farage to watch his language when describing those involved in the protests.

He said those involved were not interested in violence but had to cover their faces to protect against negative repercussions on their jobs.

"We have working class men who are bricklayers, roofers, carpenters, who build the houses you live in," said Mr Thomas. "The reason they are covering their faces is because we know they are going to be targeted."

Portsmouth council leader Steve Pitt said the Home Office has "serious questions to answer" after an "unsuitable" location was chosen to disembark the RNLI boats carrying the migrants.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We condemn the intimidating and thuggish behaviour we saw in Portsmouth last night.

"The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but it must never cross a line into disorder."

Coaches were able to leave in the early hours of Monday taking all of those brought ashore to a location for processing in the usual way, likely to be the Manston arrivals centre in Kent.

Footage posted to social media appeared to show protesters following the convoy of coaches along a motorway after it had left.

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Sunday's disorder followed protests in Dover on Saturday, when hundreds of masked, black-clad men blocked road access to the port.

In a statement, Kent Police said Saturday's demonstration involved some 200 people and caused "significant traffic disruption for several hours".

The force added there was no need for peaceful protesters to wear face coverings and an investigation for criminal damage to a road has been launched.

Nigel Brookes, assistant chief constable of Kent Police, said: "There has been some discussion about the fact that protestors on Saturday wore face coverings.

"To do so is not, in itself, sufficient to establish a criminal offence.

"There is no need to wear a face covering in Kent, if your plan is to peacefully express your views."

(c) Sky News 2026: Officers injured and vehicles damaged during anti-migrant protest in Portsmouth - as p