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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Politics
Sam Hall

UNCOVERED: Protesters interrupt nigel farages conference speech | History Defined

Nigel Farage’s keynote speech at the Reform UK party conference was interrupted numerous times by protesters.

Two women stood up in the conference hall at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre and held a banner reading “Reform works for billionaires”.

They were booed by audience members who shouted “out” and television footage showed a woman being carried out by security.

Mr Farage laughed during the disruption and said “We’ve got a screamer. Oh dear.”

A heckler is removed during Nigel Farage’s speech (Joe Sene/PA) (PA Wire)
A heckler is removed during Nigel Farage’s speech (Joe Sene/PA) (PA Wire)

Addressing the conference hall, the Reform leader said “that poor young girl, she looked like she was going to do herself an injury”, before adding “boring, boring, boring”.

Activist group Climate Resistance said they were behind the disruption, adding protesters shouted “Nigel, you’re bankrolled by billionaires” and chanted “billionaire bootlickers” as they were removed by security.

More protesters were subsequently thrown out of the main hall during Mr Farage’s speech on Friday.

Two were removed in separate incidents, and Mr Farage joked that ticket prices could be raised next year to weed out protesters.

Mr Farage walked on to the stage after a delay and told delegates this was because of a “security alert”.

A security guard takes down a banner displayed on stage during the conference (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)
A security guard takes down a banner displayed on stage during the conference (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

Climate Resistance spokesman Sam Simons said: “We have to expose Reform for who they really are, a party built for billionaires and big business.

“While ordinary families struggle to put food on the table, Reform threaten to decimate our public services, slash rights for working people, and rig our broken economic system to line the pockets of shareholders.

“Reform aren’t the ones fighting the Establishment – they are the Establishment.”

A banner had appeared behind Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice reading “Collect £5 million, burn the planet” during his speech at the conference.

The banner, which also depicted Mr Farage in a top hat and carrying a bag of money, remained visible for several minutes before being taken down.

A heckler is removed (Joe Sene/PA) (PA Wire)
A heckler is removed (Joe Sene/PA) (PA Wire)

Greenpeace claimed responsibility for the banner.

Amy Cameron, programme director for Greenpeace UK, said: “Tice wants to celebrate this summer’s relentless heatwaves and droughts because they’re improving English sparkling wine.

“But the only thing being toasted in England is our farmland, and the only way you could miss that is if you’re paid not to notice.

“Reform disguise themselves as champions of ordinary people but they’re funded by billionaires who profit from keeping us hooked on oil and gas while the rest of us deal with the catastrophic climate consequences.

“When this summer’s searing temperatures give way to winter storms, 90% of homes in Tice’s own constituency, Boston and Skegness, will be at risk of flooding.

“We need to quit the expensive fossil fuels that are wrecking our climate.

“A more secure, independent energy future is within reach – we just need the politicians in the pocket of the oil and gas lobby to get out of the way.”

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