Man was detained after prank on Truss, eyewitnesses say
Man Arrested For Prank On Liz Truss At Beccles Event, Witnesses Report
Posted: 09:52 AM on August 15th, 2024
People who were there saw the police arrest a man after a stunt caused Liz Truss to exit the stage while she was giving a talk about her book.
Police detained a person outside Beccles Public Hall on Tuesday evening after activists interrupted an event by revealing a banner with a lettuce image and the message "I caused the financial crisis".
He is believed to have been in charge of operating the remote-controlled sign that appeared behind Ms. Truss while she was being interviewed on stage by the event host, Richard Melchior.
When the ex-member of parliament for South West Norfolk realized what was going on, she walked off the stage and the event ended.
One person in the crowd, who preferred to remain anonymous, mentioned: "The man was held by police officers outside after the event ended, and they were also accompanied by what seemed to be Ms. Truss' security team."
"He seemed to be the one who started the stunt."
"He remained composed and didn't offer any opposition. He appeared rather content and was savoring the moment."
There are no additional details that Suffolk Police has been able to confirm.
Ben Stewart, a part of the activist group Led By Donkeys, commented, "Our intention was simply to make sure people remember not to give this individual any credibility."
She strongly supports Trump and is using her previous position as British Prime Minister, even if it was only for a short time, to boost the pro-Trump campaign.
"We believed that she was associating herself with the extreme right in America, and occasionally, although not always, one effective way to deal with the far right is to mock them."
"So we chose to set up this well-placed lettuce banner that could be controlled remotely and clicked the button near the conclusion of last night's gathering."
The lettuce banner was just one of many disruptions that occurred during the event.
As per some members of the audience, a heckler in the lighting gantry called Ms Truss a disgrace for causing the economy to crash.
She remained composed and showed strength after the incident, and went on with the event, as reported by a bystander.
The manager of Beccles Public Hall, Mr. Melchior, who organized the event, stated: "The venue has been informed about the situation."
"This event was completely orchestrated by an external organization. The location is currently cooperating with the Metropolitan Police, and we are relieved that no one was harmed during the incident."
The two occurrences will raise concerns about the security measures in place at the event.
Mrs. Truss has criticized the occurrence.
The ex-Prime Minister, addressing the audience on the social media site X, stated: "What occurred yesterday evening was not amusing."
Extreme left-wing protesters caused a disturbance at the event, leading to its abrupt halt due to security concerns.
This is being done to scare people and silence their freedom of speech. I will not tolerate it. Would we witness a similar response if the activists were from the extreme right-wing?
Suffolk Police and the Metropolitan Police have been asked to provide a statement.
