Anti-immigration protesters and counter-demonstrators face off in Portsmouth in wake of Southport killings

Roughly 100 people, some wearing unions jacks and having their faces covered, gathered in Kettering Terrace near the UK Border Agency building in Portsmouth at 8am this evening. Those in opposition, some in hoods to obscure their identity, also arrived and were split by officers.

Some motorists beeped their horns in solidarity with the anti-immigration protesters, while others swore at them in disgust. People then moved onto the M275 northbound and blocked the road, holding the British flag and chanting. Some of the cries were racial slurs. A Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary spokeswoman said the route was obstructed for a short while before officers moved on the demonstrators.

Riots broke out in major UK cities with shocking levels of violence following the deaths of Bebe King, six, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, in Merseyside - who were stabbed at a Taylor Swift themed dance class on July 29. Axel Rudakubana, from Bank in Lancashire, has been charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place. Misinformation spread online that the offender was a Musilm who arrived into the UK on a migrant boat, fuelling the violence. In Kettering Terrace, one protester said she was demonstrating for her children and grandchildren.

She told The News: “We’ve got to make a stand now. I’m not racist one bit. People keep putting it down to racists, Tommy Robinson, it has nothing to do with that. But with those three girls being killed, that was the last straw. Those poor girls. People aren’t safe no more. They were having a fun day out, and they got killed. It has made everyone feel very angry. We need to keep protesting. It’s down to the government, they’ll all corrupt anyway.”

Three police vans arrived at the scene after the anti-immigration protesters obstructed the road, with verbal exchanges being held between them. One individual tried to drape one officer in a British flag. Abhorrent racial slurs and anti-refugee chants were heard from the crowd. Counter-demonstrators tried to get close to the group at around 8.40pm, shouting that the individuals were “racists”. Dozens of officers were present at the scene.

One of them, Zane B, said: “There’s a lot of right and wrong on every single side, but the reason why they’re here and the way they’re acting is completely wrong. They have nothing to stand for. They’re using it as an excuse to be racist. I’m here for my friend who’s gay and black, and he’s got most of the stick today.

“Most of them are dangerous in society, but no one is doing anything about it. The police are watching them do these thuggery activities and nothing is being done about it. They think racist slurs do anything in 2024, that isn’t going to break people.” Another counter demonstrator added: “They’re not here to protect our kids. They’re teaching their kids and teaching their families to be the racist people that they are. They’re trying to keep it in the bloodline and it’s not ok. There’s not a GCSE between them.”

A police spokeswoman told The News at 9.15pm that no arrests have been made. Groups started to disperse at 8.45pm, with a larger cluster remaining at the UK Border Agency building. The scenes today follow the protest at Guildhall Square on Saturday (August 3). Joe Ward, a Whiteley-based musician who was at both gatherings, said there was a stark contrast between the moods of both demonstrations. “The level of anger had gone up,” he added. “On Saturday, people seemed like they were willing to talk to you and explain their reasons for being there.

“There was a little bit of back and forth. I heard a few slurs being used, so decided to take a step back. I don’t know if it was an evening, but the overall turnout was of a much younger age. Personally, I think it was a bit sad tonight that the police felt like they had to come out so heavy handed, especially after Saturday where Portsmouth was one of the places where there were no arrests.”

Mr Ward added that angst and rowdiness among the protesters built as more officers arrived. He said he saw counter-demonstrators in masks shouting over the police, but nothing serious happened afterwards. The groups started to disperse at 8.45pm after verbal exchanges between both groups.

Mr Ward said: “I heard one kid say this was purely about immigration, and I don’t agree with that personally. I think it’s more of a societal issue, but I can’t deny that there was definitely more of a nationalistic feel today. Sadness and helplessness from some people has turned into anger. I still feel that most people were well behaved and listened to the instructions that were given. The only sparks I saw from the protest itself was when the counter-protesters were trying to get amongst everybody, but nothing major.”