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Charity Commission condemns 'thuggery and intimidation' against RNLI volunteers targeted for rescuing migrants

An RNLI lifeboat whose crew's children have faced school bullying, with volunteers branded traitors, confronted in pubs and shops, and one Portsmouth station forced to close temporarily after receiving threats.
An RNLI lifeboat whose crew's children have faced school bullying, with volunteers branded traitors, confronted in pubs and shops, and one Portsmouth station forced to close temporarily after receiving threats.

Dame Julia Unwin, chair of the Charity Commission, has condemned threats against RNLI lifeboat crews in the strongest terms, warning against the "normalisation of violence" toward charity volunteers. Crews have faced harassment, doxxing and radio threats since helping bring migrants ashore at Portsmouth and Gosport. Police are investigating suspicious messages broadcast over VHF radio during a rescue earlier this month. A separate anti-migrant protester was arrested yesterday after spraying a noxious substance in police officers' faces.

RNLI volunteers had their names and photos shared online and accused of treason after bringing about 120 migrants ashore at Eastney, Portsmouth, on 6 September.

A group called Truthhurts101UK, with nearly 57,000 followers on X, shared footage titled 'HMO Hunting in Leicestershire' showing activists entering a property and quizzing suspected asylum seekers.

MoreDaily MailProbe as anti-migrant activists film themselves entering HMO and questioning 'asylum seekers'The TimesAnti-migrant ‘thuggery’ threatens lifeboat crews, says charity watchdogBBC News - EnglandCharity Commission condemns ‘thuggery’ against RNLI crewsMetroAnti-migrant protester sprayed 'noxious substance' in police officers' facesGB NewsMigrant crisis: Anti-migration protests threaten RNLI lifeboat crews, warns charity watchdogLBCCharity regulator to condemn ‘thuggery and intimidation’ towards RNLI volunteers
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