On September 6 2026, two Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboats brought around 120 migrants ashore at Portsmouth. They were met by a protest, where far-right demonstrators verbally abused lifeboat crew. The crew’s names, addresses and photographs were later circulated online.
The protest in the Eastney area of the city was organised by Patriot Platform, a far-right group led by Daniel Thomas. Demonstrators blocked roads and clashed with police, and RNLI volunteers were branded “traitors”.