In Britain, those who pull the drowning from the sea have found themselves cast as villains in a political storm not of their making. Following protests at Portsmouth and Dover, volunteers of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution — a charity whose mission predates modern borders — have been named, photographed, and threatened online and in the streets for doing the only work they know: saving lives. The RNLI's chief executive has spoken plainly about the cost of misinformation, and a government has been asked to decide whether the law can move as fast as a mob.
RNLI chief condemns 'unacceptable' abuse of volunteers after migrant rescue protests
RNLI volunteers and staff subjected to online and physical abuse; personal information including names, addresses, and photographs shared online, endangering staff and families.