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Police are investigating after a Tory councillor is said to have pushed a pro-Palestine protester out the door of a meeting, declaring ‘this is Chorley, not Gaza’.
Labour mayor Tommy Gray lost control of a debate on Chorley Council’s budget after inviting activist Jenny Hurley to ask a question during the meeting on Tuesday, February 27.
But the meeting spiralled into chaos when Hurley instead launched into a speech about Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.
The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 30,000 people in Gaza, two-thirds of them women and children, since October, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
It’s caused bitter divides between supporters of Israel and Palestine around the world, sending the Labour Party into turmoil that’s embroiled even Chorley’s MP, Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle, in controversy.
Conservative town councillor Craige Southern tried to remove a Palestine protester from a meeting in Chorley (Picture: TikTok / ummsurrayah)
Hurley told Chorley Council: ‘I do find they’re painting over the cracks of the problem the housing market, much in the same way the Labour group painted over the cracks with their release of a private statement claiming their support for a ceasefire in Gaza, but they refused to follow this up with any public action.’
Chief executive Chris Sinnott then repeatedly said ‘Jenny’ and threatened to have her leave the meeting if she didn’t stop.
But Hurley kept going even louder than before. The mayor could be seen banging his gavel in an attempt to regain order.
Sinnott then suspended the meeting and invited councillors to leave the chamber.
Hurley continued: ‘History has shown us atrocities where we look back and ask, why didn’t somebody stand up.
‘Here in this chamber today, we are now experiencing those people staying silent in the face of historic atrocities.’
One woman on the opposite side of the room could be seen dancing as she sang ‘la la la la’ in an effort to drown out the speaker.
Another protester retorted, ‘Is that your response to genocide? I think that’s a disgrace’, before a chant of ‘free free Palestine’ broke out, apparently led by Labour councillor Ryan Towers.
The Israel-Hamas war reached a grim milestone, with more than 30,000 people being killed in Gaza since October 7 (Picture: Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images)
Hurley, by now holding a Palestine flag, directed her ire at the Labour group on the council, asking why it hadn’t put forward a motion calling for a ceasefire.
Town councils deal primarily with issues like litter, bus shelters and community centres.
At that point Conservative councillor Craige Southern shouted: ‘Because it’s Chorley, not bloody Gaza. Get out, go on.’
Cllr Southern then barged over to Hurley, appearing to push her towards the chamber door, sparking a flurry of shouts around the room.
Hurley pushed back as another man came to her aid, declaring: ‘Hands off her.’
Hurley could be heard saying: ‘How dare you touch me.”
Others attempted to keep them apart as Hurley and fellow protesters confronted Southern before police entered the room.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, after the incident, Hurley accused Southern of assaulting her.
She posted: ‘Tory councillor, Craige Southern, ASSAULTS me when we challenge Chorley council on why they have not passed a motion for ceasefire in Gaza during the horrific genocide.
‘First Hoyle stops our voice, now this! Chorley will be heard!’
Southern, who was leaning against the mayor’s desk with his arms crossed as he glanced around the room immediately before he pushed Hurley, claimed he did so because he felt ‘intimidated and threatened by the activists’.
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He told MailOnline: ‘I wish to make clear I did not attack anyone and I would be very careful suggesting that I did.
‘I was in fact protecting myself and others from these threatening and anti-democratic bullies who did all they could to try and disrupt the meeting to get their way over an issue that has absolutely nothing to do with Chorley Council.
‘This baying mob was so threatening the meeting was suspended and the mayor had to be taken to safety. Some councillors were in tears.’
He added: ‘Jenny Hurley and her mob were then ejected from the chamber. I spoke to the police about what had happened and I made a voluntary statement to them. I was not arrested.
‘I believe in rule of law and democracy. I’m tired of constant mob rule where they think they can come into a democratic arena and impose themselves. Intimidation will not cowe me.’
Lancashire Police are investigating the incident after receiving a complaint of an assault. No arrests have been made at this stage.
Just last week, Chorley’s MP Lindsay Hoyle apologised to Parliament for his role in the chaos that broke out around a debate on Israel and Palestine in the House of Commons.
MPs from both the SNP and the Conservative Party walked out of the chamber over allegations Hoyle broke with convention in his handling of the debate on the SNP’s motion calling for an ‘immediate ceasefire’ in the Israel-Hamas war.
He claimed to be partly motivated by concern for the safety of MPs, saying: ‘I am very, very concerned about the security of all members…
‘I was very concerned, I am still concerned, and that’s why the meetings I have had today is about the security of members, their families and the people that are involved.
‘And I’ve got to say, I regret how it’s ended up. It was not my intention. I wanted all to ensure they could express their views and all sides of the House could vote.’
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