Lifeboat charity tightens security after far-right protests over migrant rescues

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has erected physical barriers at its headquarters and told volunteers they can stop wearing branded clothing in public after facing a wave of abuse and protests from far-right groups.

The charity has brought in private security guards and called in three police forces to protect its staff and premises. The backlash erupted after an operation on Sunday, when lifeboats brought about 120 migrants ashore at Langstone Harbour near Portsmouth.

Following the rescue, protesters blocked local roads and took to the water in Portsmouth. On social media, far-right accounts posted photos and names of individual crew members, accusing them of treason and helping an "invasion". False rumours also spread online claiming the charity was secretly housing migrants.

How is the charity protecting its staff?

In response to the harassment, the RNLI has taken the unprecedented step of telling its volunteers they are empowered to shut down lifeboat stations and shops if they do not feel safe.

In an email to staff, chief executive Peter Sparkes advised volunteers to wear ID badges on site, challenge suspicious strangers, and simply walk away from confrontational members of the public. He also suggested they choose not to wear RNLI-branded clothing when representing the charity in public spaces.

Physical security has been noticeably tightened. At the charity's headquarters in Poole, barriers have been put up around a memorial to lost crew members and a rose bed marking the RNLI's 200th anniversary. A public viewing platform overlooking the site has also been shut.

Three police forces are now involved in protecting RNLI sites. Dorset Police are securing the Poole headquarters, Hampshire officers are patrolling Portsmouth stations, and Sussex Police are investigating threatening comments online.

Protests on the south coast

On Wednesday, around 50 demonstrators from groups including the Poole Patriots and Hampshire Resistance gathered outside the Poole headquarters. Organisers handed out rape alarms to women, claiming they were in danger from asylum seekers, and called on the public to halt donations.

"Directing abuse at people who risk their lives in the service of others is appalling," a Home Office spokesperson said, adding that the government is working with social media platforms and police to tackle threatening online content.

Sparkes defended the charity's actions, noting that the Portsmouth rescue was carried out at the request of HM Coastguard. "When called upon, we rescue people — men, women, and children — in distress," he wrote to volunteers, adding that the RNLI hands individuals over to authorities immediately after bringing them ashore. RNLI statistics show that small boat rescues in the Channel make up only a tiny fraction of its total launches.

'Have some sense'

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the legendary sailor and RNLI vice-president, urged critics to "have some sense". He noted that if those abusing the volunteers got into trouble while swimming, they would be screaming for the RNLI to rescue them — "and the RNLI would do it."

One volunteer, identified only as Neil, was among those called a traitor online after helping during Sunday's operation, where crews also had to monitor anti-migrant protesters who had waded into the sea.

"We were there purely for the safety of the protesters in the water," Neil said. "It would be nice for those people who called me a traitor to know that I'm not a traitor."