# UK politics live: Government condemns ‘thuggish and intimidating’ far-right protesters in Portsmouth

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/uk-politics-live-government-condemns-thuggish-and-intimidating-far-right-protesters-in-portsmouth/
- Published: 2026-09-07T06:59:05+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-07T07:22:36+00:00
- Original publisher: The Independent (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-politics-portsmouth-protests-andy-burnham-john-healey-live-updates-b3045729.html
- Topics: Government, Politics, UK, World

## Key points

- Government condemns Portsmouth far-right protests as "thuggish and intimidating"
- Unrest followed arrival of about 140 Channel migrants; echoes Dover protest
- Police warn smuggling routes may spread beyond Dover along south coast

## Summary

The government has strongly criticised far-right protesters who blocked roads and confronted riot police in Portsmouth over the weekend, branding their behaviour "thuggish and intimidating." The unrest erupted after around 140 migrants who had crossed the Channel in a small boat were brought ashore, drawing hundreds of demonstrators who chanted "stop the boats" and vowed to remain overnight. It follows a similar protest in Dover on Saturday, where masked protesters blocked a major road out of the port, and comes amid growing concern that people-smuggling routes are shifting away from Dover to other points along England's south coast.

Treasury minister Emma Reynolds told Sky News the protest had "crossed the line" of legitimate peaceful demonstration, while backing the right to protest in principle. Hampshire and Isle of Wight police and crime commissioner Donna Jones said mutual aid officers, including from the Metropolitan Police, had to be deployed to help hold back several hundred protesters, warning that "this is just the start" if the pattern continues, and that Portsmouth is "not set up" to handle such incidents as Dover has been. Separately, Chancellor John Healey is due to deliver a speech on Monday setting out an "active state" approach to economic growth ahead of next month's Budget, including a £150 million fund via the British Business Bank to back innovative firms in the North of England.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.