149 migrants were rescued in the Channel, prompting a protest in Hampshire marina and subsequent arrests
Police officers stand outside New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, in London, Britain March 21, 2023. REUTERS
Twelve people were arrested after an anti-migrant protest in the southern English town of Gosport turned violent, with police saying officers were assaulted during clashes.
Eleven men and one woman were arrested on suspicion of offences, including assaulting police officers, affray and racially aggravated public order offences, Hampshire Police said on Monday.
The arrests followed a protest Sunday at a marina in Gosport, Hampshire, after 149 migrants were picked up in a mid-Channel rescue operation by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) alongside a French vessel, according to the Home Office.
Some flares were set off and several scuffles between protesters and police took place during the stand-off.
A police cordon was put in place on Haslar Road.
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However, some protesters stood in front of police vans to prevent them from advancing, chanting “shame on you” and “deport the lot,” according to a report by BBC.
Hampshire Police said it deployed officers to “support our partners in the event of an emergency at sea” including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the RNLI and Border Security Command.
The force imposed conditions under the Public Order Act and prohibited the wearing of face coverings.
A small number of police officers were treated at the scene for injuries, although no one attending the protest was seriously injured, police said.
Assistant Chief Constable Simon Dodds said: “Violence and criminal damage have no part in peaceful protest.”
“Our position on this has been clear that we will investigate thoroughly and take robust action against anyone responsible,” he added.
The migrants were later taken by coach to a processing center in Kent.
The incident marked the second known landing of large numbers of migrants this far west along England’s south coast in recent years.
