Police used batons and Pava spray against far-right activists in Portsmouth on Sunday evening. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Policing minister Sarah Jones told MPs that Hampshire and Isle of Wight constabulary, with support from neighbouring forces, used a dispersal notice to ensure public safety, and officers were forced to use batons and Pava spray to maintain order in the face of aggression.
An estimated 200 activists gathered in Portsmouth on Sunday night and clashed with riot police. Masked individuals in black clothing vowed to prevent migrants from leaving the port. Footage showed some chanting "send them back" as police officers with shields tried to maintain order.
Spencer Wragg, chair of the Hampshire police federation, said one of the injured officers was a rookie who had only finished training school three days earlier. "Those scenes in that area of Portsmouth weren't protests, they weren't protests at all; it was clear that some people were intent on disorder and venting their frustrations," he said.
About 120 people seeking asylum were brought to shore in Hampshire after travelling to the UK on a "mega-dinghy" which departed from the Normandy coast and was at sea for roughly 10 hours. The landing point was farther west than most small boat arrivals. Officials are concerned that people smugglers are starting to target new routes across England's south coast.
Responding to concerns that police were caught unawares by the unrest in Dover on Saturday, Jones said: "Work is ongoing to establish any lessons and ensure that relevant intelligence is shared at pace across our law enforcement system."
Labour and Lib Dem MPs called on the government to explain why police appeared to be caught off-guard by events in Dover and Portsmouth. Mike Tapp, Labour MP for Dover and a former Home Office minister, questioned why police were not aware of plans to block the local port. "Please ensure that the intelligence picture is strong enough so that the police can respond accordingly to future incidents," he told MPs.
Liberal Democrat Home Office spokesperson Max Wilkinson asked: "How is it that far-right thugs in balaclavas were able to close Britain's busiest port without the police receiving any prior intelligence? And how is it that then an apparently separate group with some commonalities were then able to blockade another site the next evening?"
Jones said there was "a crossover in terms of online activity" and the government would learn lessons from the disorder.
Daniel Thomas, a far-right agitator closely linked to Tommy Robinson, claimed to have arranged the protest. Thomas was also behind disruption in Dover on Saturday, when crowds in black and balaclavas blocked the road around the port for several hours.
In an on-camera confrontation on Monday, Thomas told Reform UK home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf that his Patriot Platform group would deliver working-class votes to Reform, but expressed anger at Nigel Farage's criticisms of Dover demonstrators for wearing balaclavas. Thomas said: "I understand Nigel is going to be prime minister one day and I understand he has to set a standard, which will basically be that you know he can't just come out and say, everything's great and these guys are fantastic, but Nigel needs to be very careful with his words."
Yusuf said he would "take that message back" and added that Thomas had articulated why he and his group had organised demonstrations. "I think it's important we listen to people. He was making his points respectfully," he said.
Whitehall sources said police could impose a balaclava ban on future anti-migrant demonstrations after officers were injured. Under the Crime and Policing Act, Hampshire police could apply for a ban to ensure protesters cannot cover their faces. Facebook posts claim a demonstration is planned for Saturday by a group called Portsmouth Patriots. Hampshire police has been approached for comment.