A shocking video shows the horrific moment a young Tory is kicked full in the face when a clash between rival demonstrators turned ugly in London yesterday (Saturday, July 1). Police have said enquiries are continuing into the attack on pro-capitalist demonstrators by Marxists attending a festival at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in Russell Square. The video shows a man with tattoos on his arms, who is believed to be a member of hard-left activist groups, rushing over and booting an 18-year-old who was kneeling on the ground hard in the face.
The teenager, who has asked not to be named because of fears of more attacks, had to be taken to hospital where he was put in a neck brace.
In a statement, the young victim told Express.co.uk: “We attended the Marxism festival, hoping to engage in political discourse. Instead, we were subjected to violent abuse.
“Towards the end of the event, Antifa thugs started harassing the women who came with us, who were standing quietly handing out badges. I went to support 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 by another Antifa thug. The sheer force of his unprovoked football kick left me hospitalised with a fractured knee, chipped teeth, a concussion and whiplash.”
Footage has also been seen of other hard-left attendees at the Marxist festival physically attacking other members of the protest group.
Turning Point UK (TPUK), a conservative youth movement, said that initially, their appearance led to debate and discussion among people at the event.
But a spokesman added: “This was until the Socialist Workers’ Party representatives began to stop people from engaging with us and then began to stir up the crowd against us with one ringleader demanding the attendees of the event ‘drive us out’.
“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. Some even attempted to crush us with barriers.
“Metal broken parts of our equipment were also used to beat our team, in this unprovoked attack.”
The police have made no arrests but said enquiries are ongoing.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Police were called at 12.55pm on Saturday, July 1 to reports of an assault during a protest on Russell Square.
“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.”
