Jacob Rees-Mogg is hounded by students calling him a ‘Tory c**t’ after giving a speech (Picture: Arthur Newman)
Jacob Rees-Mogg was forced to flee from an appearance at Cardiff University on Friday after a gang of protesters heckled the MP and called him a ‘Tory c***’.
Scenes from the event show Mr Rees-Mogg being bundled into a vehicle while surrounded by security guards, as a group of protesters wielding Palestine flags heckle the former minister and drape themselves over the bonnet of his car.
The protest was organised by Welsh Underground Network and Cardiff Communists, with the former tweeting afterwards: ‘We helped organise a demonstration against this imperialist politician.
‘We managed to block the doors, shutting them inside for several (hours).
‘Mogg left under a barrage of our anger, anger at his zionism, anger at his cruelty to the working class, anger at his very existence.’
Mr Rees-Mogg, who had been giving a speech at the Welsh university’s Conservative Association, later said of the incident: ‘It was a legitimate and peaceful if noisy protest.
‘The Cardiff University security team was exemplary in allowing a lawful protest while keeping everyone safe.
‘Universities ought to be bastions of free speech and as both the protesters and I were able to give our views without fear or intimidation the proper traditions of adversarial debate were upheld.’
But senior figures on both sides of the political spectrum have pointed to the event as further proof of ‘intimidation’ of public officials over their continued support of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden wrote on Twitter: ‘How silly of these morons – whatever they think their cause is, they do it a disservice.
‘I’m sure @Jacob_Rees_Mogg will have taken it in his stride but no elected politician should have to put up with this shrill intimidatory idiocy.’
Jo Stevens, Labour’s shadow Welsh secretary, said: “Concerned by footage of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s treatment by protesters in 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.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.