Family caught up in anti-migrant protest 'felt unsafe'
BBCA man who was stuck on a yacht in a marina targeted by anti-migrant protesters has said he and his family felt "completely unsafe".
On Sunday, police faced off with demonstrators as they blocked roads in Portsmouth in an effort to stop 140 people from leaving the city who arrived at the Eastney Landing ferry port area.
Toby Merritt-Smith, who found himself stuck on his yacht as the marina went into lockdown during the evening, said some people had come to the area "for a fight".
"Peaceful protest is OK, but this certainly wasn't that," he said.
Merritt-Smith was returning from Gunwharf Quays with his wife, son, grandfather, mother, stepfather, and two brothers on board.
As he navigated his way into the marina he was notified on the yacht's radio about the dinghy behind them, which he described as "absolutely nerve-wracking".
"I didn't know whether we might have to have got involved in terms of rescuing people or anything like that," he said.
"You hear about migrants coming into the country a lot, but when it's on your doorstep, and when you're literally a stone's throw away from the incident, you never know what's going to happen next."
Once the boat docked Merritt-Smith was able to organise getting his son home with his mother, but as soon as they left the marina went into lockdown.
According to policing minister Sarah Jones, about 200 protesters arrived at the harbour at about 20:00 BST intending to block three coaches that were due to take the arrivals for processing.
"That's when all the emergency services started turning up, hundreds of them, coastguard, fire service, you name it, drones up in the sky," Merritt-Smith said.
"Then they were just coming by the hundreds, the protesters... we watched last night bottles being thrown, police officers being hit, language was absolutely awful, fences being ripped down, chains being cut off the gates into our marina."
He also described police vehicles with slashed tyres and smashed windows.
The family stayed on board the yacht until the police, after several false alarms, finally said it was safe to depart.
Protesters dispersed at about 04:00 on Monday.
Hampshire Police said a small number of officers were injured and vehicles were damaged, with an investigation now under way to identify those responsible.
The government said people had a right to peaceful protest but condemned "intimidating and thuggish behaviour" at the demonstration.
Jones said there could be "no excuse" for threatening behaviour or serious disruption.
She added that those who "cross the line from peaceful protest to illegality" would face the "full force of the law".
