Hampshire Police charged 76-year-old Timothy Miller with concealing his identity after he wore a niqab to an anti-immigration protest in Portsmouth on September 12, 2026. The demonstration, which drew hundreds of rival anti-migrant and anti-racism protesters, occurred under a strict Section 60AA face-covering ban. The police order was implemented following violent clashes and road blockades at Eastney Marina and Dover earlier in the month, where protesters attempted to block arriving Channel migrants.
Niqab protest charge in Portsmouth
- ▪Timothy Miller wore a niqab, a traditional Islamic face covering, to protest against a police ban on face coverings at the Portsmouth demonstration on September 12, 2026
- ▪Timothy Miller is scheduled to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court to face the identity concealment charge
- ▪Timothy Miller, a 76-year-old man from Hedge End, Southampton, was charged with wearing or using an item to conceal his identity at a protest in Portsmouth on September 12, 2026
Anti-migrant demonstrations in Portsmouth
- ▪Hundreds of anti-immigration protesters, including members of the Portsmouth Patriots and South Coast Patriots, marched through Portsmouth city centre on September 12, 2026
- ▪David Kenny McNally, 33, of Portsmouth, was charged with wilful obstruction of a highway and attempted criminal damage following the September 12, 2026 protest
Counter-protest by anti-racism groups
- ▪Stand Up To Racism counter-protesters held signs supporting the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and accusing anti-immigration demonstrators of masking racism as patriotism
- ▪Anti-racism demonstrators from Stand Up To Racism held a counter-protest in Portsmouth's Guildhall Square on September 12, 2026, to oppose the anti-immigration march
Police face-covering ban enforcement
- ▪Hampshire Police implemented a Section 60AA order under the Crime and Policing Act to ban face coverings and require protesters to uncover their faces
- ▪A member of the Facebook group The Patriots of Great Britain urged anti-migrant protesters to wear hats, sunglasses, and war paint to bypass the face-covering ban
- ▪Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones stated that the face-covering ban was implemented equally and impartially for all protesters
Prior Eastney Marina disorder
- ▪Del Leon Somerville, 42, of Paulsgrove, was remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with violent disorder and assaulting a police officer at Eastney Marina
- ▪Hundreds of demonstrators blocked roads at Eastney Marina on September 6, 2026, to prevent coaches carrying 120 Channel migrants from leaving the area
- ▪A 16-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder in connection with the September 6, 2026 incident at Eastney Marina and released on bail
Channel migrant arrivals context
- ▪Royal National Lifeboat Institution volunteers and staff faced abuse from anti-migrant protesters over their rescue operations bringing small boat migrants ashore
- ▪Crowds of masked men blocked road access to the port in Dover on September 5, 2026, drawing condemnation from politicians across all political parties
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