‘It’s Chorley not Gaza!’: Chaos as Gaza protesters ‘hijack’ council

Video has caught the second a council assembly descended into chaos after pro-Palestine protesters staged an illustration earlier than scuffles erupted when a Tory councillor tried to revive order.

Councillor Craige Southern shouted ‘It’s 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 at least one concerning the ongoing battle between Israel and Hamas in Palestine.

Ms Hurley accused Cllr Southern of assaulting her however he instructed MailOnline that he tried to push her out the assembly as he felt ‘intimidated and threatened by the activists and I feared for the security 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 throughout the horrific genocide.

‘First Hoyle stops our voice, now this! Chorley might be heard!’

The assembly occurred within the constituency of the House 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.

Outside the phrase ‘from the river to the ocean’, which is seen as anti-Semitic, was projected onto the Elizabeth Tower.

Ms Hurley instructed 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 go away 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 lady who was making an attempt to talk.

The activist, her voice nonetheless rising in quantity, urged the Labour group: ‘Stand up and put ahead a movement for a ceasefire in a unprecedented council assembly.’

As Ms Hurley spoke, holding a Palestine flag up, an official instructed her that if she didn’t cease she can 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 arms aspect to aspect in a form of dance.

Noise and shouting within the council chamber will get louder and louder and a number of other protesters rise up with their indicators which learn: ‘Chorley Borough Council: Silent on Genocide’.

A councillor, believed to be Labour’s Ryan Towers, then shouts ‘Free free Palestine!’ which is adopted by a refrain of protesters repeating the mantra. This chant is repeated a number of extra instances.

Ms Hurley then requested, loudly: ‘Why has no movement been put to this chamber. We have been instructed that it could be taking place, the Labour group can be completely satisfied to place a movement to this chamber. Why has that not occurred?’

Then Tory councillor Craige Southern shouted: ‘Because 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.

Police officers 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’d be very cautious suggesting that I did.

‘I used to be the truth is defending myself and others from these threatening and anti-democratic bullies who did all they might to attempt to disrupt the assembly to get their means over a problem 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 have been in tears.’

He added: ‘Jenny Hurley and her mob have 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 consider in rule of legislation and democracy. I’m bored with fixed mob rule the place they assume they will come right into a democratic enviornment and impose themselves. intimidation is not going to cowe me.

‘Chorley is a small market city in England, we now have completely no views or no sway in what occurs hundreds of miles away in Gaza.’

‘Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. People have sympathy in direction of the individuals of Gaza – I do – however to hijack a democratically elected chamber shouldn’t be okay,’ Cllr Southern stated. ‘Have a rally, have a protest, no matter.’

‘But if it have been to occur once more, I’d do it once more. I can’t have somebody interrupting legit democratic debate.

‘And if I’m the one who’s obtained to face up and say “enough is enough”, so be it.’

Cllr Southern added: ‘Sorry to make gentle of it, however we’re not Gaza. I’m a all the way down to earth Geordie lad who occurs to reside in Lancashire and my obligation is to residents in Chorley Borough.’

He stated: ‘I’m all at no cost speech however what I will not have is the mob making an attempt to impose their will on us.

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

‘Of course we care about Gaza – I’ve sympathy for Gaza, I believe it is horrible – however we will not do something about it.

‘And these individuals coming to protest could not discover Gaza on a map when you pointed to it.’