RNLI flag raised in Southend following “appalling” abuse of lifeboat volunteers

An RNLI flag has been raised above a civic building in Southend in a show of support for the charity’s volunteers following recent incidents in which abuse has been directed towards RNLI staff and crews.

The flag is now flying at Porters Civic House, with Southend-on-Sea City Council saying the gesture recognises the dedication of volunteers who regularly respond to people in danger at sea and around the city’s coastline.

The move follows anti-migrant protests in Dover and Portsmouth earlier this month which resulted in RNLI volunteers being targeted both in person and online.

In Dover on September 5 2026, hundreds of masked protesters gathered around the port and blocked roads during a demonstration over Channel crossings. The following day, protests moved to Portsmouth after RNLI crews were tasked by HM Coastguard to assist a boat carrying around 120 people across the Channel.

RNLI lifeboats from Bembridge and Yarmouth helped bring those on board to Eastney after requests to land them at Southampton and Portsmouth ports were declined. Hundreds of protesters subsequently gathered in the area, with some entering the water and attempting to prevent the arrivals from being moved away. RNLI crews were also involved in keeping protesters who had entered the sea safe.

Footage subsequently circulated online showing RNLI volunteers being called “traitors”, while photographs and alleged identities of individual crew members were shared on social media. One volunteer told the BBC that his crew had actually been positioned there to illuminate the beach and help protect protesters who had entered the water.

The incidents prompted the RNLI to review its security arrangements and advise volunteers that they could avoid wearing RNLI-branded clothing in some circumstances if they felt unsafe. Portsmouth Lifeboat Station was later temporarily taken out of service while the charity reviewed the safety and wellbeing of its crew, although search-and-rescue cover continued from neighbouring stations.

RNLI chief executive Peter Sparkes described the abuse of volunteers as “wholly unacceptable in a civilised society” and said the charity would continue responding whenever HM Coastguard tasked its crews to people in danger.

It is against that backdrop that Green Party councillor Kay Mitchell asked for the RNLI flag to be flown in Southend.

Southend has a particularly close relationship with the charity as a seaside city attracting millions of visitors each year, while Southend RNLI volunteers respond to incidents around the coast and across the Thames Estuary.

Councillor Daniel Cowan, leader of Southend City Council, said: “As a seaside city, we know just how important the RNLI is to Southend.

“Today, the RNLI flag is proudly flying at Porters Civic House as a small but meaningful way of saying thank you to the remarkable volunteers of Southend RNLI.

“Day after day, they stand ready to answer the call, giving their time, skill and courage to help people in danger at sea and along our coastline. Their work helps keep our residents and the millions of people who visit Southend safe.

“We’re incredibly fortunate to have such dedicated volunteers serving our city.

“Thank you to Councillor Mitchell for raising the idea with me, and to the Mayor, for agreeing that we should proudly fly the flag in recognition of their service.

“Most importantly, thank you to everyone at Southend RNLI for everything you do to save lives at sea.”

Councillor Mitchell welcomed the decision and said she now wants the flag raising to become an annual event in the city.

She said: “I’m very pleased to see the RNLI flag flying at Porters Civic House following my request to the leader of the council and the disturbing incidents at Dover and Portsmouth, with appalling abusive treatment of RNLI staff and volunteers.

“Southend as a seaside destination with over 7 million visitors a year is ever grateful for the RNLI and its lifesaving work that does not discriminate.

“Now we just need to have the RNLI flag raising on the annual calendar.”

The RNLI operates around the UK and Ireland, with its lifeboat crews largely made up of volunteers who can be called out at any time to respond to emergencies.

The charity stresses that its role is to save lives at sea regardless of who is in danger. It says its crews respond to Channel incidents when tasked by HM Coastguard, just as they respond to other emergencies around the British coastline.

For Southend, that can mean responding to swimmers in difficulty, people cut off by the tide, boats in trouble and other emergencies around the coastline and Thames Estuary.

The flag at Porters Civic House therefore serves both as a thank you to Southend’s volunteer lifesavers and a visible show of support following the treatment of their RNLI colleagues elsewhere in the country.