08/09/2026
'Thuggish' protesters faced an angry backlash today after they branded lifeboat heroes 'traitors' for rescuing a boat carrying asylum seekers in the Channel. š”š
A far right group confronted the Royal National Lifeboat Institute crews on Sunday night in Portsmouth.
The crews, who were based on the Isle of Wight, helped a 'mega dinghy' carrying around 120 people which was stranded in the Channel.
It came into UK waters from Cherbourg, near the ferry crossing for Portsmouth, rather than using the usual route from Calais into Dove.
They were saved by lifeboat rescuers who returned to find a group of men in a boat shouting: āHow do you feel bringing illegal migrants into this country?ā
A volunteer in a yellow life jacket told them: āI donāt know; I havenāt brought any in.ā šÆ
The protestors replied: "Look at these guys absolute traitors to this country. Look at the state of you.ā
Other footage posted also showed people shouting abuse at an RNLI crew on their boat.
There were again calls of 'traitors' and 'Yellow jackets, yellowbellies'. Another protestor described the lifesaving crews as 'scum'.
The RNLI defended their role, saying: "We are a voluntary lifesaving rescue service, tasked in the UK by HM Coastguard to assist anyone who is in trouble on the water. We will rescue those in danger without judgement or preference, as the RNLI has been doing for more than 200 years."
Police have launched a hunt for the masked thugs who injured officers and damaged vehicles during the anti-migrant protests in Portsmouth.
They are investigating potential assaults and criminal damage after black-clad activists attempted to block migrants being driven away overnight on Sunday.
A small number of officers were injured and some vehicles damaged during the protest against the small boat crossings in Portsmouth.
The man behind the balaclava protest in Dover on Saturday and the protest in Portsmouth on Sunday is said to be Danny Thomas, known as Danny Tommo.
He became a close associate of the anti-migrant and anti-Muslim activist known as Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
The government has condemned "intimidating and thuggish behaviour" in both protests.