Check Out These Photos of a Brexit Naval Battle on the Thames

British fishermen who support a Brexit floated down the River Thames on Wednesday in what they thought would be a peaceful display of maritime strength for leaving the European Union. What could possibly go wrong?

As the trawlers neared London’s 19th century Tower Bridge, the rival “remain” camp sprung a surprise attack. A group of small dinghies flying banners picturing a fish emblazoned with the word “In” swarmed the flotilla. British rock star Bob Geldof led these small boats at the helm of a party boat turned naval frigate. In the heat of this low-level naval battle, rival vessels hosed each other with seawater, blared horns, and launched rhetorical broadsides over loudspeakers.

Geldof, of Irish punk band fame and star of Pink Floyd’s psychedelic film “The Wall,” cranked his loudspeakers all the way up to play songs referencing his cause (see: The In Crowd). He occasionally took the mic to harangue the commander of the rival flotilla, Nigel Farage, a right-wing British politician and, for a few hours at least, captain of H.M.S. Brexit.

An “In” boat sputters past the British Parliament on its way to confront the “leave” flotilla. Photo credit: Nilkas Halle’n/AFP/Getty Images

Embedded with the “leave” flotilla was Jim Waterson, the political editor of Buzzfeed U.K. He captured the scenes of chaos on the Thames in a series of tweets, re-posted below.

The pro-Brexit flotilla sailing up the Thames in full force:

Photo credit: BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images