12 arrested over public order incident that left police injured as migrants brought into Gosport
Migrants were brought ashore on Sunday evening
Twelve people have been arrested and remain in custody following a public order incident in Gosport on Sunday that left police injured.
Police and partner agencies, including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, RNLI, and Border Security Command, worked closely in response to reports of a small boat crossing of 149 migrants in the English Channel yesterday afternoon.
Police officers were deployed to Haslar Road to manage any public order issues to ensure that partner agencies could work in a safe environment after people were brought ashore alongside “maintaining the safety of people and facilitating peaceful protest activity”, police said. The force deployed a number of powers to carry out the operation.
A crowd of around 350 people that gathered dispersed by 2am on Monday morning after the agencies that attended safely disembarked individuals and transported them outside of Hampshire for processing as part of the normal process.
It comes less than two weeks after asylum seekers were due to arrive in the town before the plan was aborted and they were transferred by boat to Kent for processing. Migrants were also brought shore in Eastney last month resulting in protesters clashing with police during a 10-hour stand-off.
A police spokesperson said: “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. One person suffering from chest pains was assisted by police officers before our colleagues from South Central Ambulance Service provided treatment.”
During the evening, a number of arrests were made. These were a 36-year-old man from Bognor Regis was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, failing to comply with a prohibited assembly direction and failing to comply with the conditions of a dispersal order. A 38-year-old man from Fareham was arrested on suspicion of failing to comply with a prohibited assembly direction; a 45-year-old man from Gosport was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly in a public place.
A 29-year-old man from Portsmouth was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and failing to comply with a prohibited assembly direction; a 56-year-old man from Gosport was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer; a 22-year-old man from Gosport was arrested on suspicion of affray and racially aggravated public order; and a 42-year-old man from Fareham was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in a public place and failing to comply with the conditions of a dispersal order.
A 35-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of assault by beating of an emergency worker and failing to comply with a prohibited assembly direction; a 39-year-old man from Emsworth was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, attempted criminal damage and possession of a pyrotechnic article at a protest; a 57-year-old woman from Emsworth was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer; a 59-year-old man from Gosport was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order; and a 29-year-old man of no fixed address was arrested on suspicion of obstruction of a highway after ambulances were prevented from travelling along Clayhall Road. Five people were also issued with dispersal notices.
Assistant Chief Constable Simon Dodds said: “Violence and criminal damage have no part in peaceful protest, our position on this has been clear that we will investigate thoroughly and take robust action against anyone responsible. Last night saw a number of incidents that were clearly not peaceful protest, rather violent public disorder, and this will not be tolerated as we work to keep our wider communities in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight safe.
“Our officers did not deserve to be assaulted as they worked incredibly diligently on Sunday to ensure the safety of everyone in the area. Neither do they, or anyone from our partner agencies, deserve to be singled out online or subjected to abuse via social media. We will work with our colleagues across policing to address any online threats that are made.
“We will continue to review body-worn video footage and videos posted online to identify any further offences and may make further arrests in due course in required”.
It comes as Gosport Borough Council leader Cllr Zoe Huggins expressed disappointment at the town being used again to bring migrants ashore. She said: "Last night's landing of migrants at Fort Blockhouse raises serious concerns for our local community.
"As we have repeatedly said, Gosport is not the right location for small boat arrivals and it is extremely disappointing that the Home Office continues to ignore our concerns.
"Last night's operation required a huge response by emergency services and partner agencies, putting pressure and additional cost on already stretched local resources. I want to thank all those who worked so professionally to ensure people's safety in very difficult circumstances.
"People living nearby were understandably worried and many were trapped in their houses for hours while roads were closed. Residents rightly expect transparency from the Government about what is happening in their community, and I want to thank the vast majority who conducted themselves peacefully throughout the evening.
"Our staff and contractors are out today to clear up the area and carry out necessary repairs with support from the county council, which the councils are expected to pay for.
"The government needs to do more to prevent small boat crossings organised by criminal gangs, and to urgently identify a safe and suitable site for disembarkations and processing in an alternative, more suitable area."
The government has said a “small boat” of 149 individuals had launched from Normandy, France, before it “successfully disembarked” at Gosport.
A government spokesperson said: “The Border Security Command works around the clock to protect our border. We have established contingency plans to make sure we can securely disembark, check and process all small boat arrivals.
“Migrants will be transported to short term holding facilities in Kent where they will be processed as normal and undergo stringent health, security and biometric checks.”