Hampshire Police are hunting six men in connection with disorder that broke out at an anti-migrant protest in Portsmouth last September.
The force has released images of the individuals it wants to speak to following the trouble at Eastney Marina on 6 September. Officers say the men could have important information about what happened that day and are urging anyone who recognises them to come forward.
Eastney Marina became a flashpoint when a group of protesters gathered at the site, which has been used as a landing point for small boat migrants crossing the Channel. The protest descended into disorder, prompting a significant police response.
The scenes at Eastney were part of a wider wave of anti-migrant unrest that swept across England during the summer and early autumn of last year. Dozens of towns and cities saw protests, some of which turned violent, following the Southport stabbings in July. Mosques, hotels housing asylum seekers and other properties were targeted in some of the worst disorder England had seen in years.
Police forces across the country launched major investigations in the aftermath, with hundreds of people arrested and many already convicted and sentenced for their roles in the violence. Courts handed out tough sentences, with judges making clear they would not tolerate what they described as mindless thuggery dressed up as political protest.
Hampshire Police have been working through footage and witness accounts from the Eastney incident in the months since. The release of the six images represents the latest step in that ongoing investigation. Detectives are keen to stress that the men pictured are wanted for questioning and have not been charged with any offence at this stage.
Anyone who recognises any of the six men is being asked to contact Hampshire Police directly, or to pass information anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The investigation reflects the broader effort by police forces in England to hold people accountable for the disorder that played out so publicly last summer, much of it filmed and shared widely on social media. That footage has proven to be a key tool for investigators, allowing them to identify suspects long after the events themselves took place.
Authorities have repeatedly said that the work of identifying and prosecuting those involved is ongoing and that people should not assume they have escaped scrutiny simply because time has passed.