Britishminister Emma Reynolds on Monday slammed “thuggish” anti-migrant protests that blocked roads in the English coastal city of Portsmouth.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Portsmouth on Sunday following the arrival of about 140 migrants who had crossed the English Channel from France, UK media reported.
“This is thuggish and intimidating behavior,” Reynolds, who is Chief Secretary to the Treasury, told Sky News, adding that the police brought the Portsmouth protest under control.
The demonstration came a day after masked protesters disrupted traffic at Dover terminal, blocking routes to the busy ferry port.
Masked protesters in Dover
On Saturday, hundreds of masked people blocked traffic at England’s port of Dover as part of an anti-migrant protest, halting ferry traffic between France and the UK.
Video footage showed demonstrators, reportedly backed by far-right groups, in balaclavas chanting “stop the boats,” in a reference to refugees and migrants who attempt the dangerous English Channel crossing in a bid to reach Great Britain.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s Labour Party government said that “the right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but we condemn the behavior in Dover and the travel disruption it has caused.”
The Dover demonstration caused a traffic jam of about four miles (6.4 km) and temporarily halted traffic into and out of the port.
Britain has struggled for years to curb small-boat crossings from France, although Reynolds said arrivals were down 43% from last year to about 17,000 so far this year.
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Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher
