Man charged following anti-migrant protest in Gosport

A man has been charged in connection with a protest against the arrival of migrants in the Hampshire town of Gosport, police have confirmed.

The unrest followed an incident on Sunday in which, according to the Home Office, 149 migrants were rescued during a mid-Channel operation carried out by the RNLI alongside a French vessel. The migrants were subsequently brought ashore at Gosport.

Around 150 anti-migrant demonstrators gathered near Haslar Road as the arrivals took place. Flares were set off during the protest, and scuffles broke out between demonstrators and police. Some protesters blocked police vans from moving forward by standing in their path while chanting slogans directed at authorities.

Charge and arrests

Jamie Bennett, 38, of Thyme Avenue in Whiteley, Fareham, has been charged with failing to comply with a direction prohibiting the assembly. He has been released on bail and is due to appear before Portsmouth Magistrates' Court on 26 November.

In total, police made 12 arrests connected to the protest — 11 men aged between 22 and 59, and a 57-year-old woman. Suspected offences include assaulting police officers, affray, and racially aggravated public order offences. The remaining ten men and one woman have been released on bail while inquiries continue.

Police said a small number of officers sustained injuries at the scene but confirmed none were seriously hurt.