PORTSMOUTH, England — Hundreds of anti-immigration protesters blocked roads and confronted police near Eastney Marina after around 140 migrants were brought ashore from a small boat in the English Channel.
The overnight demonstration began on Sunday, September 6, after an unusually large inflatable boat reportedly travelled from the Normandy coast towards Hampshire. Protesters attempted to prevent coaches carrying the new arrivals from leaving Portsmouth for an immigration processing centre in Kent.
What happened at Eastney Marina?
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency received reports of a small boat travelling towards the Hampshire coast on Sunday. Lifeboats, a Coastguard helicopter, an aircraft and rescue teams were sent to the area.
The vessel is understood to have departed from the Jobourg area of Normandy, considerably farther west than the routes commonly used by small boats leaving northern France.
The longer journey took the boat towards the Isle of Wight before it reached UK waters. The people aboard were transferred to RNLI lifeboats and taken ashore in the Portsmouth area.
Border Force, Border Security Command, Hampshire Police and South Central Ambulance Service were also involved in the operation.
Sky News reported that two RNLI lifeboats brought the group to Portsmouth. Officials planned to transport them to the Manston processing centre in Kent, where people arriving in small boats are normally taken for initial processing.
As news of the arrival circulated online, hundreds of demonstrators gathered near Eastney Marina. Protesters blocked traffic along roads leading away from the waterfront and chanted “stop the boats” and “send them back.”
Images from the scene showed officers carrying riot shields forming a line near several coaches. A Sky News correspondent reported that objects were thrown towards police during the confrontation.
PATRIOT IN PORTSMOUTH 🇬🇧
— Basil the Great (@BasilTheGreat) September 7, 2026
"Hopefully people will vote the right way"
"What is the right way?"
"Restore Britain, Rupert Lowe" https://t.co/QsLo8cChT5
Videos and reactions circulated rapidly on X as the incident unfolded. One account shared footage that it said showed a migrant boat departing from Berck beach in France. The location and circumstances shown in the footage were not independently verified.
The invasion continues.
— War On Speech (@WaronSpeech) September 7, 2026
Quoting @thenowherephoto:
“Illegal migrant boat leaving at 5 am from Berck beach in France I am alone filming this.”
Daniel Thomas, also known online as Danny Tommo, livestreamed from Eastney beach and encouraged supporters to travel to Portsmouth. He told viewers that the roads had been blocked and claimed the coaches would be unable to leave.
Hampshire Police introduced a dispersal order and warned that anyone refusing to follow an officer’s direction could be arrested. Residents were advised to avoid the area while officers worked to prevent further disorder.
The protest reportedly ended at around 3 a.m. on Monday after officers ordered the remaining demonstrators to leave.
Government condemns disorder as reaction spreads online
A UK government spokesperson condemned what officials called “intimidating and thuggish behaviour,” while stressing that the democratic right to peaceful protest “must never cross a line into disorder.”
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds said the events in Portsmouth had crossed that line. She thanked police officers and other emergency workers for bringing the situation under control.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said the demonstration placed substantial pressure on local emergency services and required assistance from police forces outside the area.
Jones also warned that people-smuggling networks appeared to be changing their operations by moving away from the shorter Strait of Dover route.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage criticised the government’s border policies and pointed to the boat’s reported departure from the Bay of the Seine as evidence that smugglers could be exploring longer routes towards Britain.
Online criticism of the government and the police operation continued after footage appeared to show coaches being escorted through the protest.
Totalitarian state. Shame on those who let the busses through.
— Vindicator (@Vindicatortruth) September 7, 2026
Another user connected the Portsmouth scenes to wider concerns about immigration policies in Britain and Australia.
The UK doesn’t exist anymore and Australia is well on it’s way.
— Jarrad Ward (@JarradWard_) September 7, 2026
As some online discussions became increasingly confrontational, another user urged people not to call for wider violence.
Please do not call for Civil War, op
— Lord Haart (@Lord_Haart) September 7, 2026
Editor’s note: The embedded X posts document public reaction to the incident. Their inclusion does not represent an endorsement of the language, opinions or unverified claims they contain.
The Portsmouth standoff followed a similar demonstration in Dover one day earlier, when masked protesters blocked roads leading to Britain’s busiest ferry port. Read our earlier report about the masked protesters who blocked roads near the Port of Dover.
The two demonstrations have raised questions about how police prepare for protests organised or amplified through livestreams and social-media posts.
The Home Office says more than 48,000 attempted crossings have been prevented and 1,100 boats and engines seized since the government took office. Officials also say small-boat crossings have fallen by more than 40% this year compared with the same period in 2025.
Under a payment-by-results agreement, the UK is funding a 40% increase in French personnel working on beaches used by smuggling networks. The government’s latest figures and response can be read on the official Home Office website.
Despite the overall reduction in recorded crossings, the Portsmouth incident has prompted concern that smugglers may be using larger boats and longer routes to avoid enforcement concentrated around Calais.
The Hampshire crossing also placed those aboard the inflatable boat at sea for significantly longer than a conventional route across the narrowest part of the Channel.
Reporting note: This report is based on statements from authorities and information reported by ITV News, Sky News and other established UK outlets. Social-media posts are clearly separated from confirmed reporting.
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