Far-right commentator driven off campus after clash with protesters

A touring “Prove Me Wrong” gazebo triggered a tense confrontation with student and anti-fascist protesters outside Senate House on Monday afternoon, ending with the commentator being escorted off campus by police. 

Montgomery Toms, a right wing commentator and Restore Britain representative was posted at a stall with a camera crew, recording footage for his organisation, Freedom Watch GB, whose website claims they are ‘on the front line of Britain’s fight for freedom’. 

Onlookers report hearing Montgomery tell Jewish students they could not be considered British unless they were ‘white’ and ‘Christian’. The commentator, who has previously called for re-migration, was also heard claiming that holding a British passport does not make someone British. 

Freedom Watch GB did not provide comment. 

The debate format closely mirrors the “Prove Me Wrong” university tours of the late American commentator Charlie Kirk. The same model has previously appeared outside other UK campuses, where it has drawn criticism for allegedly baiting unprepared members of the public into confrontations for viral short content clips – a practice colloquially known as ‘clip-farming’. 

Monday’s appearance follows recent visits from fellow right-wing social media commentator ‘Young Bob’, who was reported to have directed abusive language at both staff and students. 

Members of Stand Up To Racism and Bristol’s Socialist Worker Student Society arrived at the scene to protest the commentator’s presence on campus, as well over a hundred students surrounded the Freedom Watch GB stall. 

Placards read ‘Stop the far right. Refugees are not to blame’, ‘Restore Britain is full of neo-fascists’, ‘Don’t “debate” nazis’, and ‘Don’t Give Fascists Free Social Media Content Get Them Off Campus!’. While protestors chanted ‘Whose streets? Our streets!’ and ‘Bristol is anti-fascist’, as they moved to steer Montgomery and his team off campus by dismantling his gazebo.

Amid the stand-off, a scuffle broke out between Ben Pinker, a prominent member of the anti-migrant group Bristol Rises, and protestors, escalating into a physical altercation until police intervened.

Police closed off Woodland Road as students and protesters spilled out onto the road. As Montgomery was escorted off the scene by police, students could be heard repeatedly chanting “Wanker!”

In a statement posted after the event, Freedom Watch GB described the protesters as an ‘organised mob’ of ‘thousands’ of students, claiming police did not have the ‘capacity’ to manage the crowd.

The group said it was ‘not asking everyone to agree’ with its views, adding: ‘We actively encourage people to challenge us, criticise us and debate us.’ However, it said preventing those conversations through ‘intimidation, obstruction and destruction of equipment’ was ‘unacceptable’, and vowed to ‘continue going into universities’.

The Bristol Leftist Collective have since published an open letter addressed to the University of Bristol and Bristol Students’ Union, concerning the presence of far right influencers on campus.

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‘Let’s be clear – Young Bob, Freedom Watch GB and Bristol Patriot brought violence and hate speech onto campus. It is our belief that they were hateful, divisive, dangerous, discriminatory and openly fascistic. The far-right grifters have reduced people’s lived experience of colonialism, racism and migration to a matter of debate at best, and a pawn in political movement at worst. The students and the Bristol community have the right to resist and protect our own marginalised community.’

The motion has been supported by the University of Bristol’s Philosophy Society, Plant Based Society and Socialist Worker Student Society. 

Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement:

‘An incident broke out when a man was grabbed, resulting in a physical altercation involving a small number of people.

The officer was able to separate those involved and, as they were the only attending officer on the scene, had to prioritise keeping people safe and preventing any further offences from being committed.

A man reported being assaulted by members of the counter-protest and officers have taken his details to take a fuller account at a later date.’

A University of Bristol spokesperson said:

‘We are aware that a person, who had no affiliation to the University, set up on the public highway outside Senate House earlier today.

Freedom of expression and academic freedom are foundational rights at the heart of our mission and our values. We affirm the vital importance of the right of all to speak openly without fear of censorship or limitation, provided that this right is exercised responsibly, within the law, and with respect for others who may have differing views.

In this instance the police were called after an incident occurred during a demonstration. The University takes this very seriously and if any students are found to have been involved, we will take appropriate action.’

Freedom Watch GB did not respond to a request for comment.