Police warn they will arrest anyone wearing a face covering at migrant protests in Portsmouth this weekend
The force said it will use the powers under the Crime and Policing Act 2025 to “allow peaceful protest and prevent violence”
Hampshire Police have said they will use powers which enable them to arrest anybody wearing a face covering at an anti-migrant protest in Portsmouth this weekend.
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Following the disorder in Portsmouth last weekend, the decision has been taken to use this new tactic in order to allow peaceful protest and prevent violence.
Around 200 people gathered in Portsmouth in an attempt to block 140 migrants arriving via a dinghy intercepted off the Isle of Wight from being taken to Kent for processing.
The force said it will use the powers under the Crime and Policing Act 2025 to “allow peaceful protest and prevent violence”.
A peaceful protest by the South Coast Patriots and a counter-demonstration held by Stand up for Racism is due to go ahead in the town's city centre on Saturday .
Police stressed the powers would be used "equally and impartially" to all groups in attendance.
The new police powers mean anyone wearing a face covering will be committing an offence and could be arrested for concealing their identity.
Police said the decision to authorise the powers followed "recent incidents of violence and intimidation by a minority of those who have been intent on disrupting peaceful protest this week in Portsmouth".
The powers will cover a designated area of the city centre between 9am on Saturday 12 September and 9am on Sunday 13 September.
Assistant Chief Constable Paul Bartolomeo said: “Policing protests is nothing new to us, it is what we are trained for and we have specialist teams ready to deal with whatever we are confronted with."
“Where a minority of people try to take advantage of the situation to cause violence and disruption, it is right that we use all our policing powers robustly to protect the local community as well as the right of others to peaceful protest."
He said officers had listened to the concerns of local communities and would be applied to "any groups that attend the protest and will be enforced equally and impartially".
It comes as officers arrested the first person in connection with the anti-migrant protests in Portsmouth last Sunday.
A 42-year-old man from Paulsgrove was arrested on Friday morning on suspicion of violent disorder and assaulting a police officer.
The Home Secretary encouraged police chiefs during a meeting on Thursday to make use of their full powers to prevent people wearing face coverings at protests.
Deputy Chief Constable Andy Mariner, the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s national lead for policing protests, told the Press Association anyone who engages in criminality at protests to “expect a knock on the door”.
Crowds of masked men also blocked road access to the Port of Dover on Saturday, followed by official vehicles being damaged and a handful of police officers being injured in a stand-off with protesters overnight on Sunday in Portsmouth.
It is understood the Government believes protesters wearing face coverings at the demonstration in Dover could have been arrested.
Asked if he agreed with the words of the Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Matt Jukes that the balaclava-wearing protesters were “sinister”, Mr Mariner said: “I mean, it does look sinister.
“If there were 200 people walking down my local town, I would be nervous as well.
“Our job is there to protect the public. Police were present in both locations that we’ve talked about from the weekend, and we will have a coordinated response ready for this weekend should it happen.”