Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – New anti-immigration demonstrations in the United Kingdom. After clashes the previous weekend, several thousand protesters took to the streets again in Portsmouth, southern England. "We're demonstrating peacefully, but we've had enough: illegal immigration is out of control, it must end. They're bringing people into this country we know nothing about; we don't know their criminal records or their past," Colin O'Malley, a pensioner, told AFP, among the protesters and numerous British and English flags.
Another protester, Lorraine, who gave her first name only, said she was part of a group called “Portsmouth Patriots,” an apparent reference to a “patriot” group led by far-right activist Daniel 'Tommo' Thomas.
The latter announced on X that he would not take part in Saturday's demonstration, despite having promoted it.
Thomas had organized last weekend's two demonstrations: the first on Saturday in the port of Dover and the second on Sunday in Portsmouth. In both cases, some protesters marched with their faces covered and dressed in black, and some drew comparisons to the fascist movements of the 1930s. The government called them "thugs," and Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood called on the police to use "all necessary means" to punish Saturday's illegal acts, including arresting the masked protesters.
According to AFP, no protesters appeared to be wearing masks on Saturday. The anti-racist organization Stand Up Against Racism also gathered several hundred people for a counter-demonstration, displaying numerous flags with the slogan "Stop the Far Right."
To prevent clashes between the two demonstrations, police set up a security cordon at either end of the route. John Woods, one of the counter-demonstrators, told AFP he was there to "show that the far right is not the master of this city." According to Woods, "the vast majority of people oppose racism" and "far-right thugs." Clashes broke out between police and anti-immigration protesters during the afternoon, and one person was arrested for damaging a police car, the Press Association reported. The protesters dispersed around 16 p.m. (15 GMT). Anti-immigration demonstrations, sometimes violent, are frequent in the United Kingdom, where the arrival of migrants by boat across the English Channel is a central issue in political debate.
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