Portsmouth police make first arrest over anti-migrant port disorder

Arrest follows review of protest footage

Police have made their first arrest in connection with the anti-migrant disorder that disrupted Portsmouth after a large boat carrying migrants was brought to the city. Sky News reported on September 11 that a 42-year-old man from the Paulsgrove area was arrested that morning on suspicion of violent disorder and assaulting a police constable. He remained in custody when the report was published. The arrest is a new enforcement step following several days of evidence gathering rather than an arrest made during the protest itself.

The confrontation occurred on September 6 after the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, acting under the direction of the coastguard, escorted a vessel toward Eastney Marina. A September 7 Home Office statement put the number aboard at approximately 120 and said more than 200 protesters later gathered near the harbour to block three coaches intended to take the arrivals for processing. Police used a dispersal notice, batons and incapacitant spray as they brought the demonstration to an end in the early hours.

Sky News said a small number of officers were injured and police vehicles were damaged. Demonstrators blocked roads leading to the port for hours, and officers dispersed about 200 people by approximately 4 a.m. The government’s account confirmed that nobody was arrested on the night but said investigations were continuing and that evidence of criminal conduct would be pursued. Police have since reviewed hundreds of hours of recordings; Sky reported that roughly three-quarters of the footage had been assessed by September 11.

Face-covering powers set for weekend test

The constabulary has also designated an area in which concealing identity with a face covering can constitute an offence during another protest planned for September 12. Police said the measure relies on powers in the Crime and Policing Act 2026 and is intended to preserve peaceful protest while reducing the risk of violence. Health, religious and occupational reasons for covering the face remain protected under the legislation.

The intervention matters because rival marches are planned in Portsmouth: South Coast Patriots has called a city-centre demonstration, while Stand Up to Racism is organising a counter-protest. Police therefore face the immediate task of separating lawful political expression from intimidation, assault and criminal damage. The arrest also tests whether retrospective video review can identify alleged offenders when operational demands prevent arrests during a volatile crowd event.

The wider dispute combines migration policy, coastal security and public order. The government said the boat’s arrival unusually far west of the main Channel routes required an improvised response, while ministers condemned intimidation without dismissing public concern about irregular crossings. What happens next will depend on whether prosecutors authorise charges against the arrested man, whether further suspects are identified, and how proportionately officers apply the new face-covering rules during the weekend demonstrations.