Protests occurred in Portsmouth on September 6, 2026, as hundreds of demonstrators clashed with police after 140 asylum seekers were rescued from a dinghy and brought ashore. Footage shared on social media depicted crowds near Eastney beach chanting slogans such as 'stop the boats' and 'enough is enough'. The protest was reportedly organized by Daniel Thomas, associated with the Patriot Platform group, which had previously held a mass protest at the Port of Dover earlier that weekend.
The small boat carrying the migrants reached British waters around lunchtime on Sunday, prompting the deployment of two RNLI lifeboats, a HM Coastguard helicopter, and a plane to ensure the safe arrival of the asylum seekers. Following their arrival in Portsmouth, protestors attempted to blockade the port and remained in the area until nearly midnight, with videos showing clashes between demonstrators and police officers.
Riot police were deployed, but no arrests were reported. Some protestors were seen using super-soakers to spray water at officers, while others entered the water during the protest. Earlier in the day, Thomas livestreamed the event, encouraging supporters to join him at the beach. Footage also showed a pensioner delivering supplies to the protestors via canoe.
The dinghy had departed from the Bay of the Seine and was monitored by rescue boats for approximately 10 hours. The French coastguard indicated that it was unsafe to stop the boat at sea, marking this incident as unusual due to the distance from typical launch points in Calais.
A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed the response to the report of the small boat, stating that multiple agencies, including Border Force and Hampshire Police, were involved in the operation. Clips later showed the asylum seekers being assisted off lifeboats and onto buses.
Cllr George Madgwick, leader of Reform UK in Hampshire, noted that over 100 migrants had arrived. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage criticized the situation, stating that this marked the first time a boat had launched from the Bay of Seine to Hampshire. The incident coincided with discussions between Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron regarding efforts to reduce small boat crossings.
Earlier that week, a separate protest at the Port of Dover involved hundreds of anti-migrant demonstrators, some linked to the Patriot Platform. Kent Police reported that they were not aware of the protest, leading to a lack of resources to manage the situation effectively. Mike Tapp, Labour MP for Dover and Deal, expressed concerns about the police's preparedness for the protest.
In response to the protests, a government spokesperson condemned the behavior of the demonstrators, emphasizing the importance of peaceful protest while denouncing disorder. Hampshire Constabulary stated that they were working with various agencies to manage the situation and had implemented a dispersal order in the area. They confirmed that the asylum seekers would be processed outside of Hampshire after disembarkation.