The RNLI said its reviewing its safety procedure for volunteers as some have been abused by people protesting migrant channel crossings.
RNLI members have been abused by migrant protesters online (Image: Getty)
The RNLI is looking at its safety procedures for members after some volunteers were targeted by migrant protesters. The rescue charity recently helped carry around 120 migrants intercepted off the Isle of Wight to Eastney, in Langstone Harbour. This was met with protests, with roads in the town blocked by demonstrators. The RNLI said the faces and names of some of its members have since been shared online, calling them treasonous.
With volunteers receiving abuse online, RNLI chief executive Peter Sparkes called the situation “wholly unacceptable in a civilised society”. Sparkes said RNLI’s participation in the rescue on Sunday had been requested by HM Coastguard. Crews from Bembridge and Yarmouth stations were involved initially, later joined by crews from four more stations after “large numbers of protesters were in and near the water in Portsmouth”.
In a message sent to volunteers, he said: “This was the first time we have been involved in a Channel crossing incident of this magnitude this far west.”
The RNLI said it also helped to ensure the safety of anti-migrant protesters in the sea off Portsmouth on Sunday.
One volunteer, Neil, had his photo shared online and was branded a “traitor”. He told BBC Verify: “We were there, purely for the safety of the protesters in the water. It would be nice for those people who called me a traitor to know that I’m not a traitor.”
Meanwhile, RNLI vice-president Sir Robin Knox-Johnston told BBC Newsnight that he wants people abusing crew members to “have some sense about this”.
“The people who are abusing the volunteers – I wonder how abusive they’d be if they suddenly got a stitch when they’re out swimming?” he said. “They’d be screaming for the RNLI to rescue them and the RNLI would do it.”
In a letter to members, Sparkes suggested that they could do things like “choosing not to wear RNLI-branded clothing when representing our charity in public places” if they are concerned about being abused online.
He also suggested “removing yourself from a conversation with a member of the public if you feel uncomfortable”.
In the letter, he told members: “When our crews are tasked by HM Coastguard, we will go to the aid of those who need our assistance, including those crossing one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in small, overcrowded and unseaworthy boats,” he said.
“When called upon, we rescue people – men, women, and children – in distress.”