Downing Street has condemned the 'thuggish and intimidating behaviour' of far-right activists who blocked roads in Portsmouth to prevent asylum seekers being transported for processing, two days after similar scenes in Dover.
Key facts
- Hundreds of men, some in balaclavas, blocked roads in Portsmouth as asylum seekers arrived.
- The disruption continued until 3am, when police removed the crowd with threats of arrest.
- A witness said two police car windscreens were smashed.
- The government condemned the 'thuggish and intimidating behaviour'.
- Similar scenes took place in Dover two days earlier.
The UK government has condemned what it described as the “thuggish and intimidating behaviour” of far-right activists who blocked roads in Portsmouth after a boat carrying asylum seekers arrived in the city, according to the Guardian.
Hundreds of men, some dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, attempted to stop the new arrivals from being transported for processing. The Guardian reported that the disruption continued until 3am, when police removed the crowd with threats of arrest.
A witness told the Guardian that two police car windscreens were smashed during the unrest.
Downing Street issued the condemnation, describing the activists’ conduct as “thuggish and intimidating,” the Guardian reported.
The Portsmouth unrest came two days after similar scenes were reported in Dover, according to the outlet.
The Guardian did not report any arrests or injuries beyond the damage to the police vehicles described by the witness.
Why it matters
The unrest reflects rising tensions around the arrival and processing of asylum seekers in the UK, with protests spreading between coastal cities. How authorities respond has implications for public order, policing, and the wider political debate on immigration.