Photo: Twitter
Jacob Rees-Mogg was made to scarper away from Cardiff University on Friday, after he had given a speech at the institution’s Conservative Association. Protesters carrying Palestine flags heckled the senior Tory as he was escorted from the site.
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Clips shared to social media show Rees-Mogg surrounded by his security detail. The guards form a protective circle around the politician, who is hurried towards his car. Demonstrators swarm around protective unit, brandishing signs and shouting.
One local reporter at the febrile scene states that at least one protester called Mr. Rees-Mogg a ‘Tory c**t’, and the vocal students continue their dissent even as the getaway vehicle drives off. Some bang on the windows, others stand in the road
You can watch the footage in this 50-second clip below, which was posted shortly after the event:
Cardiff University officials have vowed to investigate the incident. Jacob Rees-Mogg has since responded, stating that the dispute was ‘legitimate and peaceful, if not noisy’. However, the protest has been met with condemnation from elsewhere.
Free speech enthusiasts Richard Tice and Nigel Farage have both condemned the students’ actions, with the former branding the scenes as ‘truly disgusting’, and the latter slamming ‘left-wing academics’ for allowing it to happen.
Labour MPs have also criticised protesters. Jo Stevens chastised the group for fostering a culture of ‘intimidation’.
“Concerned by the footage from Cardiff. I disagree with him on almost everything, but we cannot accept a culture of intimidation in our politics. The right to lawful protest is sacrosanct, but harassment and intimidation is unacceptable.” | Jo Stevens
