Police used batons and pepper spray against far-right protesters in Portsmouth unrest

Police used batons and synthetic pepper spray to repel hundreds of masked, black-clad protesters in Portsmouth after a dinghy carrying asylum seekers reached the Hampshire coast from Normandy.

The Sunday demonstration marked the second disruptive protest against asylum seekers arriving in the UK by small boat over the weekend. About 200 people gathered and clashed with riot police, with some chanting “send them back” as officers raised their shields and tried to hold the line. Officers were reportedly pushed from their motorbikes and pelted with bricks.

Sarah Jones, the Home Office minister, told MPs that Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary had used a dispersal notice to protect public safety. “Hampshire and Isle of Wight constabulary, with the support of other neighbouring forces, used a dispersal notice to ensure public safety and officers were forced to use batons and Pava spray to maintain order in the face of some aggression,” she said. Jones condemned the groups involved, accusing them of promoting “racism and thuggery”.

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Hampshire and Isle of Wight constabulary, with the support of other neighbouring forces, used a dispersal notice to ensure public safety and officers were forced to use batons and Pava spray to maintain order in the face of some aggression.

Spencer Wragg, chair of the Hampshire police federation, said one injured officer was a rookie who had finished training school only three days earlier. “Those scenes in that area of Portsmouth weren’t protests, they weren’t protests at all, it was clear that some people were intent on disorder and venting their frustrations,” he said.

Around 120 people seeking asylum were brought ashore after travelling for roughly 10 hours in what officials described as a “mega-dinghy”. The landing took place farther west than most small-boat arrivals, prompting concern that smugglers are targeting new routes across England’s southern coast. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary launched an investigation into possible assaults and criminal damage. Jones also said officials were working to identify lessons from the unrest and share intelligence more quickly across law enforcement.

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Those scenes in that area of Portsmouth weren’t protests, they weren’t protests at all, it was clear that some people were intent on disorder and venting their frustrations.