Andy Burnham earlier this month hit out at ‘appalling’ abuse directed at hero crews after they were labelled as traitors online by far-right thugs for rescuing asylum seekers in the Channel
The RNLI has paused its services in Portsmouth after its life-saving volunteers were abused by anti-migrant protestors.
Andy Burnham earlier this month hit out at “appalling” abuse directed at hero crews after they were labelled as traitors online by far-right thugs for rescuing asylum seekers in the Channel and bringing a dinghy to safety in the Hampshire port city.
The RNLI, whose mandate is to save lives at sea, has been the target of online and physical abuse after anti-migrant protestors faced off with police in Portsmouth earlier this month. A separate demonstration saw masked protesters bring Dover to a standstill.
The charity said the Portsmouth Lifeboat Station has been “temporarily off service” since September 7.
RNLI’s south-east head of region for the charity, Jacqui Irons, yesterday said: “We have a duty of care to our people, we therefore took the decision to pause activity at the station to review crew safety and wellbeing and to support those involved in the incident on September 6.
“Search and rescue cover continues to be provided by flank RNLI and independent lifeboat stations, and the most appropriate asset to respond to any incident will be co-ordinated through HM Coastguard as is the case around the rest of the coast.”
She added the charity looks forward to the Portsmouth RNLI “returning to operational service in the near future”.
The charity has another lifeboat station on Hayling Island and there is another lifeboat station independent of the RNLI in Gosport.
Hundreds of protesters blocked roads overnight on September 6 and vowed to stop migrants from leaving Portsmouth after they arrived in a dinghy across the English Channel.
The boat, reported to be carrying about 140 migrants, is thought to have made one of the longest journeys of any small boat, and landings as far west as Hampshire are rare.
The Mirror later revealed two RNLI heroes were named and pictured online by Portsmouth protestors who condemned them as “collaborators” and “traitors” for rescuing asylum seekers. The RNLI issued security advice warning volunteers and staff not to wear the charity’s branding because of “unacceptable abuse”.
RNLI Chief Executive Peter Sparks condemned the abuse faced by volunteers, saying: “The RNLI’s people represent the very best in our society, they selflessly give up their time to keep others safe. Yet they and their families are being threatened by those who would hide behind a balaclava or a keyboard. Their action, in contrast, is wholly unacceptable in a civilised society. We will take whatever steps we can, to care for and protect our people and their families.”
And the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Directing abuse at people who dedicate themselves to helping others is appalling. We won’t tolerate social media being a haven for this kind of behaviour. We support the police in investigating any threatening or unlawful behaviour and taking action where appropriate.”
Protests have been held at RNLI sites, including on September 9, when a small anti-migrant gathering was held at the RNLI College in Poole, Dorset.
An RNLI volunteer, who wished to remain anonymous, said the charity was being targeted “as one”. Although he has not himself worked on the south coast or in the Channel, he said: “We’re obviously quite shielded from what’s been happening down, particularly on the south coast and in the Channel, but what’s been really interesting over the last, I suppose, two weeks now, is how much the organisation, rightly, is seen as one organisation.
“And even though there’s a number of lifeboat stations around the country that have absolutely nothing to do with the incidents in the Channel and the kind of protests against that, we’re, to a degree, receiving the same amount of negative response from certain communities on social media.”
The 35-year-old, who has been with the RNLI for more than 11 years, said volunteers at the charity have been “mindful” about whether or not to wear their uniform.
He told PA: “There’s definitely a lot of talk amongst the crew, but it all centres around that affirmation that we’re just gonna keep doing what we’re doing. And the very small minority (of protesters) who have undertaken these activities doesn’t change what we’re gonna do.”