Man arrested over concealing identity at anti-immigration protest in Portsmouth

A 76-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of concealing his identity at an anti-immigration protest in Portsmouth after police warned they would use powers to arrest demonstrators wearing face coverings.A person wearing what appeared to be black scarves tied across his face and head was pictured in handcuffs on Saturday afternoon, as anti-migrant and anti-racism protesters faced off in the city centre.Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary used powers under the Crime and Policing Act to restrict face coverings following anti-immigration protests featuring masked men in Portsmouth and Dover last weekend.Counter protesters held signs in support of the RNLI (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA WireIn total, two men and a teenage boy were arrested at the protests on Saturday, according to the force.The 76-year-old, from Southampton, was arrested on suspicion of wearing or using an item to conceal identity at a protest.A 33-year-old man, from Portsmouth, was arrested on suspicion of obstructing a highway and a 16-year-old boy, also from Portsmouth, was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder in relation to scenes last Sunday.The demonstrations followed anti-migrant protests in Portsmouth and Dover last week.The Hampshire and Isle of Wight police and crime commissioner (PCC) said the hundreds of people who took part in Saturday’s protests were largely peaceful and complied with the restrictions on face coverings.PCC Donna Jones said: “Thankfully we didn’t see repeated scenes of Sunday night with assaults on police officers and criminal damage to police vehicles and people’s property.“Hundreds of people took part in today’s protest, and with the exception of a few people, it was peaceful and conducted in accordance with the new law calling for their faces to be uncovered.“The people of Portsmouth deserve to go about their business without fear and disruption.“While some may think it was arbitrary to use the new power directing people to remove face coverings, the police ensured it was implemented equally and impartially for everyone involved.“I will ensure this power is used proportionately in the future for both sides of the spectrum of protesters.”Read MoreShe thanked the hundreds of officers who policed the event.Earlier on Saturday, anti-migrant protesters held Union flags while some wearing Portsmouth Patriot branded clothing gathered outside All Saints Church in Commercial Road.Protesters in Portsmouth (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA WireA man with a megaphone got the crowd chanting “stop the boats”.He said the protest was against “illegal men invading the shores” and said it was not about giving “f*** the police”.In the neighbouring car park, demonstrators holding Stand Up To Racism and Refugees Welcome banners gathered.Signs included: “RNLI are heroes, no-one is illegal” and “stop pretending your racism is patriotism”.RNLI volunteers and staff have faced abuse from anti-migrant protesters over its rescue work bringing some small boat migrants ashore.The anti-immigration protest marched to Guildhall Square and the counter protest followed behind on the same route.The two groups were then assembled to face each other on opposite sides of the square, some shouting at each other.Anti-immigration protesters waved Union flags (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA WireA man on a mobility scooter wearing a plastic face mask was stopped by police at the square.He was spoken to by officers about the policing powers in place and then removed the mask and continued on his way.A line of police formed to keep anti-racism protesters from anti-immigration protesters who followed them as they were leaving the scene.The anti-immigration protesters were shouting at the Stand Up To Racism supporters, with one man repeatedly yelling “scum”, while a woman in the anti-racism group replied “you’re threatening us”.The first man charged over last week’s anti-migrant demonstration in Portsmouth appeared in court on Saturday morning.Del Leon Somerville, 42, of Paulsgrove, appeared before Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court charged with violent disorder and assaulting a police constable in the execution of their duty.A damaged Home Office vehicle with a smashed windscreen at Eastney Point (PA)PA WireHome Secretary Shabana Mahmood met police on Thursday for reassurance that they were ready to move quickly in dealing with “far-right groups” seeking to intimidate communities after the events in Dover and Portsmouth last weekend.Overnight last Sunday, crowds gathered at Eastney Marina after a dinghy’s arrival across the English Channel.Official vehicles were damaged and a small number of police officers were injured, Hampshire Police said.About 200 people were dispersed early on Monday.In Dover, crowds of masked men blocked road access to the port last Saturday, in scenes which were condemned by politicians of all parties.