A grandfather has branded a group of protesters in Portsmouth as “idiots” after they believed his tiny 2.7 metre-long dinghy was used to help migrants cross into the UK, following the arrival of 100 people in a small boat.
Barry John-Williams, 69, said he had to deflate his own dinghy to stop protesters taking it last night (September 6), with some offering him money to buy it.
Standoff at Portsmouth port
Hundreds of demonstrators were in a standoff with police overnight as they vowed to prevent migrants leaving Portsmouth after they arrived in a small boat. They blocked roads for hours and were vowing to stay all night in the second major anti-migrant protest of the weekend.
Speaking to the Press Association, Mr John-Williams said: “They (protesters) were offering to pay me money to take the boat and I said look it’s staying there, and that’s why I deflated it. What they were going to do with it I don’t know.”
“One of the idiots, I heard him say they thought the migrants might have come in this boat”, he added, referring to his own small 2.7 metre-long dinghy.
Migrants moored offshore
Mr John-Williams said the migrants were moored about 50 metres off shore in Portsmouth. He said: “It’s a big bit of water to come across. I don’t know how many boats there were, you know, migrant boats.”
The grandfather estimated three coaches were parked up waiting for the migrants, telling PA: “So there must have been 100 plus (migrants).
“I did circle the boats and was videoing them, waving to them, but then the police told me to clear off – I said ‘I’m only greeting them’.”
Sue Dewey watched the Eastney scenes unfold from her balcony, and said: “It was a very surreal night, that was the closest I’ve ever been to an insurrection.”
Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo, an associate of right-wing activist Tommy Robinson, was live-streaming from the protest while standing in the sea at Eastney beach. He told his followers that “roads are all blocked, they are never going to be able to leave here.”
Police confirm protest ended
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary confirmed today (September 7) that a group of around 200 anti-migration protesters had left Portsmouth at about 4am.
A number of police, Coastguard and Border Force vehicles were damaged during the standoff, and a handful of police officers were treated at the scene for injuries, none of which were serious.
The force said in a statement: “Violence and criminal damage have no part in peaceful protest. No arrests have been made at this time, however an investigation to identify offenders responsible for any assaults to officers, criminal damage to vehicles or other criminal offences has been launched.
“We can also confirm that Border Force has advised us that individuals from the boat have been transported outside of Hampshire for processing as part of the normal process after they were safely disembarked.”
A senior government minister has condemned the “thuggish” protesters but acknowledged there were legitimate concerns over the small boats crisis.
In response to the protests in Dover and Portsmouth, Treasury Chief Secretary Emma Reynolds told LBC Radio: “This is thuggish and intimidating behaviour. This is not peaceful protest.
“Obviously, as a politician, I absolutely support people’s right to peaceful protest. But this crosses a line and I just want to take the opportunity to thank the police and other emergency services who have brought this under control.
“We do not want to see this kind of behaviour anywhere, frankly.”
She added: “The British people do have legitimate concerns about immigration.” But “net migration is down” and “the level of boat crossings is at a seven-year low”.
She said the criminal gangs were changing their tactics to use larger boats “and we are changing ours accordingly”.
“We’re working in partnership with the French police. It seems that the people smugglers are also moving towards the west, towards western France, and we’re alive to that too.”
