Rival Protests Held in Portsmouth Amid New Police Face Mask Ban

Rival groups of anti-migrant and counter-protesters marched through Portsmouth on Saturday as new police restrictions on face coverings came into effect. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary implemented powers under the Crime and Policing Act to prevent protesters from wearing masks or balaclavas to conceal their identity. Assistant Chief Constable Paul Bartolomeo stated that these powers were intended to prevent crime and disorder while ensuring the measures would be enforced equally and impartially across all groups.

Up to 500 anti-migrant protesters, some wearing Portsmouth Patriot branded clothing and carrying Union and St George flags, gathered outside All Saints Church and marched to Guildhall Square chanting "stop the boats." Approximately 300 counter-protesters from Stand up to Racism also marched, with some carrying banners stating that the RNLI are heroes. Police kept the two groups apart upon their arrival at the square.

The restrictions follow disorder on September 6 when hundreds of demonstrators blocked roads at Eastney Marina to stop coaches carrying 120 migrants from leaving the city. Police reported that several vehicles belonging to the coastguard, Border Force, and Hampshire Police were damaged during that disruption, and a small number of officers were treated for injuries.

While a center-leaning report focused on the logistical details of the marches and the official police justification for the ban, a center-left report highlighted attempts by some anti-migrant protesters to bypass the rules. According to the center-left report, members of a Facebook group suggested using hats, sunglasses, and "war paint" to conceal identities without violating the law. Additionally, activist Daniel Thomas of Patriot Platform announced on social media that his group would not participate in the Portsmouth demonstration.