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THE SAME WORDS, PRINTED DIFFERENTLYTuesday 08 September 2026

2 outlets quote this line 2 different ways.

rte.ie: “We condemn the intimidating and thuggish behaviour we saw in Portsmouth last night,”; wtvbam.com: “This is thuggish and intimidating behaviour,”

As published

5 pages captured at the time, in each outlet's own typography. Open one to read the copy held outside the publisher's control.

reuters.com as published: UK minister condemns anti-migrant protests in Portsmouthreuters.com2026-09-07 12:33:05bbc.co.uk as published: Government Condemns 'Thuggish Behaviour' at Portsmouth Migrant Protestbbc.co.uk2026-09-08 14:48:58rte.ie as published: UK govt condemns 'thuggish' Portsmouth migration protestrte.ie2026-09-08 14:48:58scmp.com as published: UK minister slams ‘thuggish’ anti-migrant protests in Portsmouthscmp.com2026-09-08 14:48:58wtvbam.com as published: UK minister condemns anti-migrant protests in Portsmouthwtvbam.com2026-09-08 14:48:58

Attributed to no one

Quoted verbatim from each outlet's own page. This site records what was published and who it was attributed to. It does not assess whether the claim is true.

rte.ie

  • a spokesperson for the UK interior ministry, known as the Home Office, said in a statement
  • officials said

named elsewhere in the same article: unnamed Home Office spokesperson

What this entry found

  • OUTLETS DISAGREE

    Identification of the government official condemning the protests

    scmp.com; wtvbam.comthe full text

  • ONE SOURCE, MANY MASTHEADS

    5 outlets carried this. They resolve to 4 independent sources.

    A reader sampling these outlets received 4 accounts, not 5.

  • THE ANSWER, NOT THE QUESTION

    “We condemn the intimidating and thuggish behaviour we saw in Portsmouth last night,”

    • wtvbam.com: printed the question
    • rte.ie: response only
  • ONLY ONE OUTLET HAD THIS

    rte.ie carried 3 details no other outlet reported.

    • Hampshire Police Federation reported that two officers were pushed off their motorbikes during the protests
    • Hampshire Police Federation reported that officers, including a rookie with only three days of training, had stones and bricks thrown at them
    • Spencer Wragg, chairman of Hampshire Police Federation, praised the professionalism of officers 'in the face of provocation and immense pressure'
5outlets→4independent
What happened, for context

UK government condemned anti-migrant protesters in Portsmouth on 8 September 2024 (evening of 7 September) who blocked roads to prevent asylum seekers from leaving the city. The protest was the second significant anti-migrant demonstration in two days, following a larger demonstration at Dover on Saturday. Police transported the migrants to a processing centre despite the disruption.

4 of 5 articles were readable. Headline only, no body text retrieved, for: reuters.com. Nothing below is drawn from those outlets beyond their headline.

Who reported it

    • reuters.comWIRE
    • wtvbam.comUNCLASSIFIED
    identical copy
  • bbc.co.ukPUBLIC
  • rte.iePUBLIC
  • scmp.comINDEP

References

Carried by multiple outlets

  • British government condemns the protesters and their behaviour as 'thuggish'bbc.co.uk, rte.ie, scmp.com, wtvbam.com
  • The protest occurred in Portsmouth on Sunday evening (7 September)bbc.co.uk, rte.ie, scmp.com, wtvbam.com
  • Hundreds of demonstrators blocked roadsrte.ie, scmp.com, wtvbam.com
  • This was the second anti-migrant demonstration in two days; masked men had disrupted traffic at Dover on Saturdayrte.ie, scmp.com, wtvbam.com
  • Emma Reynolds, a UK minister (chief secretary to the Treasury), condemned the protestsscmp.com, wtvbam.com
  • The asylum seekers were successfully transported to a processing centrerte.ie, wtvbam.com
  • and 3 more, not shown

Reported by one outlet only

  • Hampshire Police Federation reported that two officers were pushed off their motorbikes during the protestsonly rte.ie
  • Hampshire Police Federation reported that officers, including a rookie with only three days of training, had stones and bricks thrown at themonly rte.ie
  • Spencer Wragg, chairman of Hampshire Police Federation, praised the professionalism of officers 'in the face of provocation and immense pressure'only rte.ie
  • Daniel Thomas, described as an ally of far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (Tommy Robinson), appeared to be leading both the Portsmouth and Dover protestsonly scmp.com
  • 140 migrants had crossed to England and arrived in Portsmouthonly wtvbam.com
  • The recent arrival of small boats in Portsmouth represents a change from the usual route, which tends to come ashore near Doveronly wtvbam.com

Reported unevenly

  • Specific number of asylum seekers arriving in Portsmouthstated by wtvbam.com · absent from bbc.co.uk, rte.ie, scmp.com
  • Identification of the government official condemning the protestsstated by scmp.com, wtvbam.com · absent from bbc.co.uk, rte.ie