Protesters confront Rees-Mogg after Cardiff speech

PROTESTERS who confronted Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg after he spoke at Cardiff University have been criticised for their “shrill intimidatory idiocy”.

Concerns were raised over the “unacceptable” harassment of politicians after footage showed the Tory MP being chased by a shouting crowd of demonstrators as he was escorted to a waiting car by eight security guards, following a speech at the university’s

Conservative association on Friday.

The activists hurled abuse at the MP as they waved Palestinian flags, while security staff could be seen warding off people trying to rush him.

Tory party chairman Richard Holden wrote on X: “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.”

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.”

The Tory former Cabinet minister said: “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.”