Hundreds of protesters clashed with police in Portsmouth, putting pressure on emergency services and requiring support from forces across the country, according to Hampshire and the Isle of Wight’s police and crime commissioner (PCC).
Donna Jones said the Government needed to act to counter changing patterns from people traffickers shifting away from crossings at the Strait of Dover.
Mutual aid and public order officers
The Conservative PCC said: “Last night we had mutual aid, public order police officers sent from police forces across the country including the Metropolitan Police Service. We also had a number of our own police officers, obviously, from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary trying to take back control of the roads, forming a line and holding a few hundred protesters back.
“This is just the start, if this continues, these numbers will grow from the protesters.”
Protesters' message
She said “largely they were peaceful, they were making their point that they don’t want Portsmouth to become a destination”.
The clashes follow reports that around 140 migrants arrived on a dinghy, leading to demonstrations in the city.
