Convicted far-right hooligan Ryan Ferguson has been condemned for sharing the names and photos of two RNLI volunteers following the protests in Portsmouth this week. Police have confirmed they are investigating the social media posts.
Crowds of masked men blocked road access to the Port of Dover on Saturday, followed by official vehicles being damaged and a handful of police officers being injured in a stand-off with protesters overnight on Sunday. The protest came as the RNLI helped bring ashore a boat carrying 140 migrants which had taken an unusual route from Cherbourg to Portsmouth. It was decided, as the boat crossed into British waters, that it would be brought ashore at Eastney Landing in Portsmouth using lifeboats from Bembridge and Yarmouth.
Protest background and RNLI response
The decision, made by UK Border Force, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Home Office, prompted the violent protests from masked individuals in the area on Sunday night. Riot police descended on the area, with the protest reportedly organised by Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo, who has previous links to Tommy Robinson. Protesters blocked the roads in a bid to stop the coaches carrying those who had been brought to shore.
Following the arrival of the 140 people brought ashore, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution came under fire from people online who labelled volunteers for the charity as "traitors". This prompted a strong reaction from the charity's chief executive Peter Sparkes yesterday, Tuesday, as he stated the recent posts online had "generated deliberate misinformation and a misunderstanding" about the charity, and condemned threats by "those who would hide behind a balaclava or a keyboard".
Ferguson's posts and police investigation
One of those who chose to target the charity was vocal far-right extremist Ryan Ferguson, with the Netherton man sharing the names of two volunteers, as well as claiming the address for one of the men was available on encrypted messaging service Telegram. Alongside the names, Ferguson shared photos of the two volunteers online, with people calling out his doxxing of the two men. In his post on X, which he has since deleted from the platform, Ferguson shared their names and labelled them "traitors". After receiving several responses criticising his post, in a second post on X, he said: "I don't wish any harm on these two individuals". He further claimed he was "only reporting what [I] have seen in groups such as Telegram" before telling people to "stop crying like woke babies".
Reacting to the post, a spokesperson for the RNLI said: "The RNLI volunteers work tirelessly and at great personal risk to save lives. Ryan Ferguson, meanwhile, is a neo-Nazi who was jailed for racially abusing a Black footballer and later arrested under the Terrorism Act for promoting the banned neo-Nazi group National Action. Branding these heroes ‘traitors’ and putting them in the firing line for abuse is utterly despicable."
Police are also aware of the post and an investigation is underway to assess whether there have been any criminal offences committed by individuals online. A Sussex Police spokesperson said: "We are aware of offensive and threatening commentary towards RNLI volunteers circulating on social media. We are proactively supporting our partners in the RNLI regarding the safety of their staff and volunteers. Investigations are ongoing to establish if there are any criminal offences in the social media content."
Chief Inspector Adam McCaig said: "We would advise anyone considering carrying out any action that could hinder the RNLI's vital lifesaving work to carefully consider the implications. The RNLI exists to save lives at sea, and any disruption to that mission could have serious consequences for those in need of urgent assistance."
Wider reactions and Ferguson's background
Ferguson has since called for people to stop donating to the charity, while Hope Not Hate CEO Nick Lowles also hit out at Ferguson. Sharing a censored version of Ferguson's deleted post, Mr Lowles said: "When the far right say they are peaceful, just remember this post.. This fascist has named two RNLI staff who work tirelessly and at great personal risk to save lives of others. He has literally put a target on their backs ….and the post is liked by 19,000 people."
In recent years Ryan Ferguson has evolved from a hooligan with an unsavoury history of banning orders and a prison sentence for racially abusing a footballer to one of the most recognisable figures in the North West's far-right movement. This year has seen a darker evolution in Ferguson, with the 26-year-old immersing himself deeper into extremist politics and neo-Nazism. Although previously photographed at a Britain First march wearing a t-shirt with widely recognised neo-Nazi connotations, Ferguson appears to have become more extreme in his views.
