Portsmouth man, 42, first police arrest over protests against migrants

Police have made their first arrest following protests against migrants being brought ashore at Eastney.

A 42-year-old Portsmouth man has been arrested as part of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s “extensive investigation following violent public disorder” at the Hayling Ferry pontoon in Eastney on Sunday, September 6.

Officers worked alongside Border Force, Maritime & Coastguard Agency, RNLI and Portsmouth City Council following the arrival of a small boat with around 120 migrants crossing the Channel.

Police were deployed to the area to ensure the safety of the public and to prevent disorder.

A force spokesperson said: “The crowd of approximately 200 people dispersed at around 4am the following morning. Several 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.

“In the days following, detectives have been reviewing hundreds of hours’ worth of footage from different sources that we are cross-referencing to identify offences committed. At the current time around 75% of this footage has been viewed and assessed.

“Early this morning (Friday 11 September) the 42-year-old man from Paulsgrove was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and assaulting a constable in the execution of their duty. He remains in custody at this time.”

Assistant Chief Constable Tony Rowlinson said: “This morning’s arrest is the first of several anticipated arrests that we will make as part of this investigation based on the footage that has already been viewed.

“We have been consistently clear that violence and criminal damage have no part in peaceful protest and we will investigate incidents like this thoroughly and take robust action against those responsible. Clearly events on Sunday evening were 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.

“The reality of public order policing is that arrests at the time are not always possible, especially where evidence may need to be reviewed to clearly identify who is responsible for offences. I want to be really clear to all of those involved, this arrest is the first of what we fully anticipate to be a number of arrests as we identify those responsible for any assaults to officers, criminal damage to vehicles, or other criminal offences committed on Sunday evening.

“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.

“This arrest also sends a clear warning to anyone intent on causing disruption and disorder at any future events. If you break the law we will take action against you and where it is feasible to do so seek a prosecution.”