Police have released images of six men they want to identify a week after an anti-migrant protest in Portsmouth turned violent, leaving several officers injured and police, coastguard and Border Force vehicles damaged.
The disorder began last Sunday after a small boat carrying migrants who had crossed the English Channel arrived at Eastney Marina in Portsmouth. Around 200 demonstrators gathered at the scene, blocking roads for several hours and saying they intended to remain there throughout the night.
Hampshire Police eventually moved to disperse the crowd, with officers clearing the area by around 4am on Monday. Several police, coastguard and Border Force vehicles were damaged during the unrest, while a small number of officers sustained injuries.
Detectives have since reviewed hundreds of hours of video footage from the protest and have released photographs of six men they believe could assist with their investigation.
Assistant Chief Constable Tony Rowlinson said police had repeatedly stressed that violence and criminal damage had no place in peaceful demonstrations. He said officers would thoroughly investigate incidents of this nature and take strong action against those found responsible.
Rowlinson said the events in Portsmouth went beyond peaceful protest and amounted to violent public disorder. He added that such behaviour would not be tolerated as police worked to protect communities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The senior officer appealed to anyone who recognises the six men pictured to contact police with information.
He also explained why arrests had not immediately been made during the disorder, saying public-order policing does not always allow officers to arrest suspects at the scene. Investigators may first need to examine evidence carefully to establish who was responsible for individual offences.
The migrant boat involved in the incident had reportedly travelled from the Jobourg region of Normandy in northern France. Around 140 people were believed to have been on board when the vessel made the journey across the Channel.
Two RNLI boats met the vessel in the Channel and transported the migrants to Eastney harbour.
Police said arrivals as far west as Hampshire are relatively uncommon. The vessel had also travelled considerably farther than many of the small boats typically used by migrants crossing the English Channel.
Authorities have already taken action against individuals allegedly linked to the Portsmouth disorder. Police said a 42-year-old man from Paulsgrove in Hampshire was charged on Friday in connection with last week’s demonstrations.
A 16-year-old boy was also arrested on Saturday over the incident. He has since been released on bail while further inquiries continue.
Another anti-migrant demonstration and a counter-protest took place in Portsmouth on Saturday. However, police said there were fewer problems during the later demonstrations compared with the disorder seen the previous weekend.
The Portsmouth unrest came shortly after anti-migrant protests in Dover on 5 September. During those demonstrations, masked men blocked roads leading towards the port, causing significant disruption.
Kent Police said around 200 people were involved in the Dover protest and that the disruption continued for several hours, resulting in major traffic problems in the area.
Assistant Chief Constable Nigel Brookes of Kent Police also addressed concerns surrounding protesters wearing face coverings during the Dover demonstrations.
Brookes said wearing a face covering was not, by itself, enough to establish that a criminal offence had been committed. He added that there was no requirement for people to uncover their faces in Kent if they were simply attending a peaceful demonstration to express their views.
The investigation into the Portsmouth disorder remains ongoing, with police continuing to examine footage and seek information that could help identify those involved in violence and criminal damage.
