Video has caught the second a council assembly descended into chaos after pro-Palestine protesters staged an indication earlier than scuffles erupted when a Tory councillor tried to revive order.
Councillor Craige Southern shouted ‘It is Chorley, not bloody Gaza!’ after activist Jenny Hurley and a big group ‘hijacked’ the assembly which might have seen the council in Chorley, Lancashire debate the funds on Monday night.
‘Get out! Go on!’ he stated to activist Jenny Hurley as he pushed her from the chamber, after she modified tack on her query about housing within the borough to 1 concerning the ongoing battle between Israel and Hamas in Palestine.
Ms Hurley accused Cllr Southern of assaulting her however he advised MailOnline that he tried to push her out the assembly as he felt ‘intimidated and threatened by the activists and I feared for the protection of others’.
Sharing the video on X, previously Twitter, Ms Hurley stated: ‘Tory councillor, Craige Southern, ASSAULTS me after we problem Chorley council on why they haven’t handed a movement for ceasefire in Gaza in the course of the horrific genocide.
‘First Hoyle stops our voice, now this! Chorley might be heard!’
It got here simply days after MPs spoke about how they had been involved about their security amid heightened feelings over the battle between Israel and Palestine.
Video has caught the second a Chorley Council assembly descended into chaos after pro-Palestine protesters staged an indication earlier than scuffles erupted when a Tory councillor tried to revive order


‘It is Chorley, not bloody Gaza !’ Cllr Craige Southern pushes protester Jenny Hurley from the assembly

Noise and shouting within the council chamber will get louder and louder and a number of other protesters arise with their indicators which learn: ‘Chorley Borough Council: Silent on Genocide’.
The assembly occurred within the constituency of the Home of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who final week broke with parliamentary conference in his dealing with of a debate on Gaza, claiming he was partly motivated to take action due to considerations about MPs’ safety.
Exterior the phrase ‘from the river to the ocean’, which is seen as anti-Semitic, was projected onto the Elizabeth Tower.
Ms Hurley advised Chorley Council: ‘I do discover they’re portray over the cracks of the issue the housing market, a lot in the identical means the Labour group painted over the cracks with their launch of a personal assertion claiming their assist for a ceasefire in Gaza, however they refused to observe this up with any public motion.’
Chief government Chris Sinnott then repeatedly stated ‘Jenny’ however she continued and raised her voice. He stated he then stated he was compelled to droop the assembly and councillors and the mayor started to depart the chamber.
As she continued her tirade, one other resident stood up and stated: ‘Can I, as a resident of Chorley for 80 years, have two minutes of your time please?’
Ms Hurley then continued her speech and elevated her quantity over the opposite girl who was attempting to talk.
The activist, her voice nonetheless rising in quantity, urged the Labour group: ‘Arise and put ahead a movement for a ceasefire in a rare council assembly.’
As Ms Hurley spoke, holding a Palestine flag up, an official advised her that if she didn’t cease she could be faraway from the chamber.
A lady on the opposite aspect of the council chamber begins loudly singing ‘la la la la la’ and sways her fingers aspect to aspect in a sort of dance.

Cllr Southern advised MailOnline that he tried to push her out the assembly as he felt ‘intimidated and threatened’
Noise and shouting within the council chamber will get louder and louder and a number of other protesters arise with their indicators which learn: ‘Chorley Borough Council: Silent on Genocide’.
A councillor then shouts ‘Free free Palestine!’ which is adopted by a refrain of protesters repeating the mantra. This chant is repeated a number of extra occasions.
Ms Hurley then requested, loudly: ‘Why has no movement been put to this chamber. We had been advised that it could be taking place, the Labour group could be glad to place a movement to this chamber. Why has that not occurred?’
Then Tory councillor Craige Southern shouted: ‘As a result of it is Chorley, not bloody Gaza! Get out! Go on!’
He then pushed her out the council chamber and was then pushed again by one other protester because the room descended into additional chaos.
Councillors, officers and protesters then obtained up shut and private with one another as voices continued to be raised.


A lady on the opposite aspect of the council chamber began to loudly singing ‘la la la la la’ and swayed her fingers aspect to aspect in a sort of dance


‘Chorley Council has no opinion on what’s taking place to folks 1,000 miles away in Gaza, we’re there to speak about Chorley Borough,’ stated Cllr Southern


Law enforcement officials then entered the room and started to escort the protesters out as waved a Palestinian flag and repeatedly shouted: ‘Free Palestine!’
Law enforcement officials then entered the room and started to escort the protesters out as waved a Palestinian flag and repeatedly shouted: ‘Free Palestine!’
Cllr Southern has denied the accusation that he assaulted Ms Hurley, telling MailOnline: ‘I want to clarify I didn’t assault anybody and I might be very cautious suggesting that I did.
‘I used to be in truth defending myself and others from these threatening and anti-democratic bullies who did all they may to try to disrupt the assembly to get their means over a difficulty that has completely nothing to do with Chorley Council.
‘This baying mob was so threatening the assembly was suspended and the mayor needed to be taken to security. Some councillors had been in tears.’
He added: ‘Jenny Hurley and her mob had been then ejected from the chamber. I spoke to the police about what had occurred and I made a voluntary assertion to them. I used to be not arrested.
‘I imagine in rule of regulation and democracy. I am bored with fixed mob rule the place they suppose they’ll come right into a democratic area and impose themselves. intimidation won’t cowe me.
‘Chorley is a small market city in England, now we have completely no views or no sway in what occurs 1000’s of miles away in Gaza.’
‘Everybody’s entitled to their opinion. Folks have sympathy in direction of the folks of Gaza – I do – however to hijack a democratically elected chamber will not be okay,’ Cllr Southern stated. ‘Have a rally, have a protest, no matter.’
‘But when it had been to occur once more, I might do it once more. I can’t have somebody interrupting reputable democratic debate.
‘And if I am the one who’s obtained to face up and say “sufficient is sufficient”, so be it.’
Cllr Southern added: ‘Sorry to make gentle of it, however we’re not Gaza. I am a all the way down to earth Geordie lad who occurs to reside in Lancashire and my responsibility is to residents in Chorley Borough.’
He stated: ‘I am all totally free speech however what I will not have is the mob attempting to impose their will on us.
‘Chorley Council has no opinion on what’s taking place to folks 1,000 miles away in Gaza, we’re there to speak about Chorley Borough.
‘After all we care about Gaza – I’ve sympathy for Gaza, I feel it is horrible – however we won’t do something about it.
‘And these folks coming to protest could not discover Gaza on a map if you happen to pointed to it.’
A spokesman for Lancashire Police advised the BBC it had obtained a grievance of assault and was investigating, however no arrests had been made at this stage.