Masked Antifa Assault Security Staff, Disrupt Event at British University

Antifa invade a lecture hall at Kings College London, England, March 5, 2018. (Youtube/Yaron Brook)

Masked ‘antifa’ invaded a talk at a British university, assaulting security staff and forcing the event to be abandoned after they lit a smoke bomb, according to eye witnesses and video footage.

Video footage shows the moment they burst into the lecture room on March 5, trying to grab the microphone, about 12 minutes into the event at the prestigious Kings College London (KCL).

“Ten to 15 people dressed all in black, with black hoods and black face masks, leapt over the barriers and instantly engaged in a fight with two or three security guards,’” one onlooker told the MailOnline.

‘They tried to stop them but they just started punching them in the face. One guard, a grey-haired gentleman who looked to be in around 60, received several punches.”

In one video, a few attendees can be seen shoving the invaders, with at least two hitting them. Within about 4 minutes, they had been jostled out of the room.

The event, organized by the university’s Libertarian Society, was billed as a discussion between the conflicting ideas of entrepreneur and author Yaron Brook, who flies the flag for “objectivist” philosophy and the controversial YouTuber Carl Benjamin.

Benjamin, also known by the moniker Sargon of Akkad describes himself as a “classical liberal,” but is labeled as an “alt-right mouthpiece” by detractors despite claiming to stridently reject the alt-right movement himself.

When left-wing protest groups indicated online their intention to “no platform” the event, the university then began to place certain conditions on the event, explained Brook in an online video posted after the incident.

According to Brooks, the university had previously explicitly granted permission to livestream and record the event.  After the left-wing groups stated their intent to intervene, however, the university then reversed that decision.

The university also then subsequently restricted attendance to only students from the university and faculty members, disappointing around 200 people, some of whom had come from outside the city to see the event, said Brooks.

The university also required them to have “safe space marshals,” said Brook. The marshals would be ready to intervene in the instance of the speakers saying something “insulting.”

On arrival, Brooks said he had to wait in a “green room” for around 45 minutes, with a guard outside who insisted he remain in the room.

He said that there were about 7 protesters who had come in with the audience members, waiting for the masked intruders before they acted.

There was no sign of any protesters outside, according to some witnesses.

Simon Gibbs wrote on the Libertarian Home website that he saw no sign of protesters as he waited in the lobby with other people who had been refused entry.

Then “about twelve people, dressed in black, ran determinedly towards the security barrier,” he said.

“The lead figures leapt the barrier and began being wrestled by up to five security guards, including the rapidly redeployed head of security. A shower of sparks announced the ignition of a purple smoke bomb. One, perhaps two at the most.”

Gibbs said that the scuffle involved only a few people and was over quickly, saying some twitter reports were exaggerations of the incident.

“The real damage was done by the smoke bomb which caused an immediate evacuation.

“As soon as that smoke bomb went off, Antifa had sealed the deal.

“What is truly scary is that, for most of us, the event was effectively cancelled hours before any of this occurred. There were 147 clicks on a Facebook event that never took place. There was one threatening tweet. That was all it really took. Those tweets and clicks are what really stopped the show.”

KCL Libertarian Society said in a statement: “Speakers Yaron and Carl were invited this evening to discuss and debate their conflicting ideas. The event was meant to be academic, philosophical and open to criticism.”

According to the Telegraph, a KCL spokesperson said: “Last night’s event organised by King’s College London’s Libertarian Society had to be cancelled after protestors violently forced their way into the venue. The police attended and we are fully co-operating with their investigation.”

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