Donations to a satirical fundraiser for an RNLI 'Flying Farage' hovercraft have increased by more than £5,000 in just two days, following far-right attacks on volunteers that triggered a backlash.
The GoFundMe campaign, started by Simon Harris, known as ManBehavingDadly on social media, has raised £336,000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) since 2021. Harris launched the fundraiser after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage branded the RNLI a "taxi service for illegal immigration".
Donations spike after Portsmouth confrontation
The campaign has been running for five years, and donations spiked after a far-right group confronted RNLI crews on Sunday night in Portsmouth. The total rose from £331,000 on Sunday to more than £336,000.
The crews, based on the Isle of Wight, had helped a 'mega dinghy' carrying about 120 people that was stranded in the Channel. The vessel came into UK waters from Cherbourg, near the ferry crossing for Portsmouth, rather than the usual route from Calais into Dover, Kent. After the rescue, the lifeboat rescuers returned to shore to find a group of balaclava-clad men in a boat shouting: "How do you feel bringing illegal migrants into this country?"
A volunteer in a yellow life jacket replied: "I don’t know; I haven’t brought any in." The protestors responded: "Look at these guys. Absolute traitors to this country. Look at the state of you." Other footage showed people shouting abuse at an RNLI crew, with calls of 'traitors' and 'Yellow jackets, yellowbellies'. Another protestor described the lifesaving crews as 'scum'.
Police hunt for masked thugs
Police launched a hunt for the masked thugs, who injured officers and damaged vehicles during anti-migrant protests in Portsmouth. They were investigating potential assaults and criminal damage after black-clad activists attempted to block migrants being driven away overnight on Sunday.
Farage had previously criticised the RNLI, claiming it was encouraging more unsafe crossings in small boats by acting as a "taxi service". The RNLI responded by declaring its obligation to help anyone in distress on coastal waters under international maritime law.
Harris said his opinion of the Reform leader was low and gets lower every time he attacks the RNLI. He told the Mirror: "It's like the NHS. RNLI volunteers are risking their lives - they're not being paid for it. It should be almost like a sacred cow."
Fundraiser aims for £500,000
The campaign has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds over several years, with the goal of reaching £500,000. All money is donated directly to the RNLI, and the decision whether to buy a 'Flying Farage' is at the charity's discretion. Donations have been ring-fenced for running costs at RNLI stations in the south-east of England. Harris wrote on GoFundMe: "This means that there’s always a very good chance that donations will go towards helping the very people that Farage and many other ruddy-faced gammons love screaming at in The Channel."
Harris added: "We're trying to make sure that for every dipstick who pulls his direct debit to the RNLI, there are another five or six people who are ready to step in and speak up on their behalf and help them out. In the last few days, it's taken a really sinister turn. Now we've got RNLI volunteers being photographed and named, and addresses flying around and getting doxxed. I've had quite a few messages from people who have got relatives who are serving lifeboat volunteers, and they're absolutely worried sick - especially after what happened in Portsmouth the other night."
Just 5.7% of people who crossed the Channel in small boats in 2015 were rescued by RNLI volunteers. The majority were rescued by other agencies, including the Border Force. The charity wrote on its website: "Lifeboat crews don’t pick who they rescue. They will answer the call for help whenever it comes. Whatever the situation, they will always do what they can to save every one they can."
