A conservative student group says its members are being violently attacked in the street as part of a “deliberate campaign” by ANTIFA-linked activists.
Turning Point UK (TPUK) urged authorities to take action after serious violence broke out at one of its stalls in central London on Saturday.
A teenager was left with a “fractured knee, chipped teeth, concussion and whiplash” after a large group surrounded a TPUK stand where he was handing out pro-capitalist leaflets.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that a number of other people were also injured during the violent scenes which occurred during a Marxism festival held in a nearby university.
Shocking videos and pictures shared to social media show the 18-year-old being kicked in the head as others surrounded TPUK members to chants of “fascists out.”
In one clip, men and women can be seen overturning the student group’s stall, while others attempt to destroy and burn TPUK equipment and merchandise, including a Union flag, in the street.
The group claims it is the second attack in as many weeks after violent clashes broke out during protests at a Lewisham pub last month.
A TPUK spokesperson said a number of its members were assaulted outside the Honor Oak pub during a protest against a drag queen storytime event it said was “inappropriate for children.”
However, LGBT counter-protesters claimed on social media that a “fascist anti-drag crowd” was behind the violence which left one of its activists with head injuries.
‘Ultra-violent’ Attack
Speaking to The Epoch Times on Monday, a TPUK spokesperson said the group had contacted police prior to Saturday’s event following the Honor Oak pub violence.“We told the police we were coming and they didn’t send anyone to stand in the middle.
“They’re not legally obliged to, but I told them it will most likely be violent and they just weren’t interested,” he said.
The spokesperson said the group had been in attendance for around three hours outside the School of Oriental and African Studies, where the festival was taking place, without incident.
“We initially set up a pro-capitalism stand outside the Socialist Workers’ Party’s Marxism festival to discuss and debate Marxism with the attendees,” he said.
“Several attendees engaged positively with us and the stand was peaceful for around three hours.”
He said that a number of people who had approached the stall were then warned off by left-wing activists to not engage with the group.
The violence kicked off after one “ringleader” demanded the group be “driven out” of the area.
“This led to an all-out violent attack on the TPUK team with over 100 Marxists charging and beating us, while also smashing and stealing our equipment,” the spokesperson said.
“One of our activists—an 18-year-old boy—was assaulted by two attendees of the Marxism festival as he tried to help two female activists escape the rabid mob.
“The injured 18-year-old was later savagely booted in the face in an ultra-violent attack by a member of London ANTIFA.”
The spokesperson said he believed the weekend attack was part of a deliberate campaign targeting members.
“They target women, they target younger members and we think it’s a deliberate campaign to just cause as much fear and intimidation as possible to stop us from doing what we’re doing,” he said.
“The thing is they’re meant to be all pro-protests and but they’re very happy to resort to violence, the moment someone calls them out.”
Trauma
In a statement released to The Epoch Times, the teenager—who does not want to be identified over safety fears—said he was attacked after going to the aid of two women being “harassed.”“I went to go and protect them, unfortunately ending up being assaulted myself, but the girls escaped relatively unharmed as they turned their attention to me.
“Once I’d eventually escaped the mob, I went to check my legs which had been attacked, when I was suddenly booted in the head.
“The sheer force of his unprovoked football kick left me hospitalised with a fractured knee, chipped teeth, a concussion, and whiplash.”
The young man said he had attended the event in the hopes of engaging in “political discussion” but was instead “met with unprovoked violence on both men and women.”
He added that he is yet to “fully understand the emotional trauma I’m now experiencing.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email on Monday: “Police were called at 12:55hrs on Saturday, 1 July to reports of an assault during a protest on Russell Square, WC1.
“Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended.
“An 18-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment for a head injury. He has since been discharged. Two other people sustained minor injuries.
“There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.”
