Anti Migrant Protest Gets Its First Arrest in Portsmouth

Police have made the first arrest following an anti migrant protest in Portsmouth that descended into violent disorder, with officers investigating allegations of assault and criminal damage. A 42 year old man from Paulsgrove was arrested early Friday morning on suspicion of violent disorder and assaulting a police officer. The arrest followed a review of video footage from the protest, and the man remains in custody. The disorder took place at Eastney Marina on Sunday night, when hundreds of demonstrators blocked roads in an attempt to prevent coaches carrying 120 migrants, who had crossed the English Channel in a dinghy, from leaving the city. Assistant Chief Constable Tony Rowlinson said the arrest was expected to be the first of several as the investigation continues. Police said several force vehicles, as well as vehicles belonging to the coastguard and Border Force, were damaged during the disruption, which continued into the early hours of Monday. A small number of officers were also treated at the scene for injuries, although no one was seriously hurt. Rowlinson stressed that while peaceful protest is lawful, violence and criminal damage would not be tolerated. He said the events in Portsmouth amounted to violent public disorder and warned that officers would take action against those responsible. Police have also raised concerns about abuse and threats directed at officers and partner organisations online. The warning follows reports that RNLI volunteers were targeted on social media following the protests. The force said it would work with policing partners to investigate online threats and take action where offences had been committed. The Portsmouth unrest came just a day after a separate anti migrant protest at the Port of Dover, highlighting the heightened tensions surrounding the arrival and accommodation of migrants who cross the English Channel. The first arrest now puts the focus firmly on the police investigation, with further arrests possible as officers continue reviewing footage and evidence from the night of disorder. The wider issue remains politically and socially contentious, but police have made clear that opposition to migration does not provide a legal excuse for violence, attacks on officers or criminal damage.