Claims of arrests and clashes with police have emerged from a protest in Gosport after migrants crossing the English Channel were brought ashore in Hampshire.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered around the Haslar Marina area on Sunday evening as two RNLI lifeboats brought people into Gosport after meeting a migrant dinghy in British waters. French media estimates of around 120 people aboard the crossing.
Social media posts circulating on Sunday night claimed five people had been arrested, including protesters accused of obstructing ambulances and one person alleged to have struck a police officer with a megaphone.
UKNIP has not yet found an official Hampshire Police statement confirming those five arrests or the alleged assault on an officer, so those details remain unverified.
Police impose sweeping public order powers
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary had already introduced several public-order measures before the arrival.
A Section 34 dispersal order covers Gosport until 7am on Tuesday, October 6, allowing officers to direct individuals to leave an area and prevent them from returning for a specified period.
A separate Section 14 order requires those gathering to protest to use a designated area inside Walpole car park until 4pm on Monday.
Police have also introduced powers in Gosport and Portsmouth prohibiting face coverings from being used to conceal a person’s identity during protest activity.
The force said officers had been deployed to support partner agencies in the event of an emergency at sea and to “facilitate peaceful protest”.
Claims of 700 migrants not supported by available reports
Claims circulating among protesters that as many as 700 migrants were arriving in Gosport are not supported by the information currently available.
Reports instead put the number involved at approximately 120, although an official final figure had not been published at the time of writing.
Earlier in the evening, protesters surrounded police vehicles and chanted “shame on you” and “deport the lot”. Reports initially described the atmosphere as mostly peaceful despite several tense moments.
The situation subsequently became more tense as the migrant arrivals reached the marina.
Further confirmation is being sought from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary regarding the reported arrests and any injuries to officers.
