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Man charged following protest over migrant arrivals in Gosport
Overview
A man has been charged and 12 other people have been arrested following a protest in Gosport, Hampshire, over the arrival of 149 migrants brought ashore following a mid-Channel rescue operation. The demonstration involved about 150 anti-migrant protesters, leading to flares being set off, scuffles with police, and minor injuries to a small number of officers.
Key points
- Jamie Bennett, 38, has been charged with failing to comply with a prohibited assembly direction and is bailed to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court on 26 November.
- Police made 12 arrests in total, consisting of 11 men and one woman, for suspected offences including assaulting police officers, affray, and racially aggravated public order.
- The Home Office stated that 149 migrants were brought ashore at Gosport after being rescued in the mid-Channel by the RNLI and a French vessel.
- Demonstrators set off flares, blocked police vans, and chanted slogans during the stand-off on Haslar Road.
- A small number of police officers received treatment for minor injuries at the scene.