A local Conservative Party fundraiser, being held jointly by Newcastle Conservative Association & City of Stoke-on-Trent Federation was abruptly ended following the breach of the event by pro-palestine protesters.
The member-only event was held at Mirchi in Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent and was due to include local Members of Parliament and Councillors to raise funds for Conservative Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner Ben Adams re-election campaign, ahead of May's local elections.
Shortly before the event began, a protest gathered outside of the venue, which grew to around 100 in number shortly after the event began.
Early attendees informed MP's of the protest, warning them to not attend due to the potential security risks.
Shortly after the event commenced, a group of men from within the protest group entered the building and made their way into the private function. Upon entering the room, which by this stage included children, the protesters confronted attendees shouting that they were 'child murderers' and'zionists'.
Footage taken by the protestors later emerged on social media site 'X' showing the confrontation. Later CCTV footage, also released via 'X' also showed a Police Officer allowing protestors into the venue.
Councillor Dave Evans wrote on X of his experience: 'This 'peaceful' protest involved grown men screaming Tory scum at my 11-year-old daughter. 'These people aren't really bothered about a cause, they make little videos like that try and make a profile for themselves and intimidate others. A disgrace to our city.'
Tory peer Lord Leigh, who is a member of the local Conservative association, described Friday's events as 'a disgraceful attack on people seeking to serve their community'.
The City of Stoke-on-Trent Conservatives Federation said in a statement: 'We acknowledge and understand that the horrific scenes coming out of Israel and Gaza since October 7 have caused great upset to our community in Stoke-on-Trent.
'However, whilst people want to ensure their voices are heard on this important matter, intimidation and harassment is completely inappropriate.
'We had members, young and old, who genuinely feared for their safety, as we feel very let down by Staffordshire Police for having not stopped individuals from entering the private function room we were using, to hurl abuse and shout at our local members.
'The irony in all of this is that Conservative Councillors on Stoke-on-Trent City Council voted unanimously for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza back in December of last year.
'So we hope those involved in this unacceptable behaviour will apologise, and understand that their attempt to impose their views on others will not prevail.'
Following the event, Staffordshire Police confirmed that four arrests had been made and investigations remained ongoing.
image credit x/luqmann_97
