Police arrested a 76-year-old man in Portsmouth city centre on Saturday under new face-covering restrictions enacted during rival anti-immigration and anti-racism demonstrations. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary enforced powers from the Crime and Policing Act following weekend clashes in Dover and Portsmouth.
A tense weekend unfolded in Portsmouth on Saturday, September 12, 2026, as rival groups converged on the city centre under heightened police scrutiny. According to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, hundreds of people participated in demonstrations that pitted anti-migrant protesters against Stand Up To Racism and Refugees Welcome counter-demonstrators. The face-off triggered the deployment of newly implemented police powers designed to ban face coverings following disturbances the previous weekend.
Face Covering Restrictions Enforced at Portsmouth City Centre Protests
Police utilized powers under the Crime and Policing Act to restrict face coverings after mask-wearing men caused disruptions in Portsmouth and Dover during the preceding weekend. On Saturday, officers targeted individuals attempting to conceal their identities. According to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, a 76-year-old man from Southampton was arrested on suspicion of wearing or using an item to conceal his identity after being pictured wearing what appeared to be black scarves tied across his face and head.
In a separate incident at Guildhall Square, police stopped a man on a mobility scooter wearing a plastic face mask. Officers spoke to him regarding the active policing powers, prompting him to remove the mask and continue on his way.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight police and crime commissioner (PCC) Donna Jones reported that the hundreds of demonstrators largely complied with the face-covering ban. Thankfully we didn’t see repeated scenes of Sunday night with assaults on police officers and criminal damage to police vehicles and people’s property,
PCC Donna Jones said, according to police statements. She added, While some may think it was arbitrary to use the new power directing people to remove face coverings, the police ensured it was implemented equally and impartially for everyone involved.
Rival Demonstrations and Route Clashes
Earlier on Saturday, anti-migrant protesters carrying Union flags and wearing Portsmouth Patriot branded clothing gathered outside All Saints Church in Commercial Road. A speaker using a megaphone led chants of stop the boats
and told the crowd that the protest targeted illegal men invading the shores,
while specifying it was not about giving f*** the police.
Simultaneously, in a neighboring car park, counter-protesters from Stand Up To Racism and Refugees Welcome displayed banners supporting the RNLI and declaring that no-one is illegal
and stop pretending your racism is patriotism.
RNLI volunteers and staff have faced abuse from anti-migrant protesters over rescue operations bringing small boat migrants ashore.
The anti-immigration march proceeded toward Guildhall Square, followed closely along the same route by the counter-protest. A line of police formed a barrier to separate the two groups as they shouted slogans at one another across opposite sides of the square. One anti-immigration protester repeatedly yelled scum
at Stand Up To Racism supporters, to which a woman in the counter-group replied, you’re threatening us.
Total Arrests and Ongoing Legal Proceedings
According to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, three total arrests occurred during Saturday’s events. Beyond the 76-year-old man arrested for concealing his identity, a 33-year-old man from Portsmouth was detained on suspicion of obstructing a highway and criminal damage. Additionally, a 16-year-old boy from Portsmouth was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder concerning the previous Sunday’s unrest.
The weekend demonstrations followed intense clashes over the prior weekend in Portsmouth and Dover. Overnight last Sunday, crowds gathered at Eastney Marina following a dinghy’s arrival across the English Channel, resulting in damaged official vehicles, a smashed Home Office windscreen at Eastney Point, and injuries to a small number of police officers before approximately 200 people were dispersed early Monday morning.
In connection with those earlier events, the first individual charged over last week’s anti-migrant demonstration appeared before Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on Saturday morning. Del Leon Somerville, 42, of Paulsgrove, faced charges of violent disorder and assaulting a police constable in the execution of their duty.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood met with police forces on Thursday to secure reassurance that law enforcement agencies remained prepared to move quickly against far-right groups
attempting to intimidate local communities.
