A man has been charged with using threatening behaviour after objects were thrown at the Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage. The incident occurred while Mr Farage was on an open-top bus, campaigning in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, on Tuesday. Police said Josh Greally, 28, had been charged with using threatening, abusive, insulting words and behaviour with intent to cause fear.
He has been released on bail to appear before Barnsley Magistrates’ Court on 26 June. A man in a red hoodie could be seen shouting from a construction area, before reaching into a bucket and throwing objects, both of which missed.
Mr Farage, speaking while campaigning in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, said the incident was “pretty nasty”.Politicians from other parties have condemned the “intimidation” of electoral candidates. Stephanie Peacock, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Barnsley South, said: “Intimidation has no place in our politics.
“I condemn the violence we saw in Barnsley town centre,” she said. Home Secretary James Cleverly said “intimidation and violence” do not have a place in our politics, adding “these actions should be condemned by everyone.
Following the incident, Mr Farage said he would not be “bullied or cowed” by people who want to stop his election campaign. That’s never going to happen,” he added on X. The recent incident comes after Victoria Thomas Bowen, 25, was charged with assault after throwing a milkshake over the Clacton-on-Sea candidate last week.
She is due to appear at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on 2 July charged with assault by beating and criminal damage. Mr Farage also had a milkshake thrown at him during a campaign walkabout in Newcastle in 2019.
Source: BBC
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