Clacton, United Kingdom – A 25-year-old woman is facing charges of assault and criminal damage after throwing a milkshake at Nigel Farage, the leader of the Reform UK party, following a campaign event in Clacton on Tuesday. Victoria Thomas Bowen, 25, is set to appear in Colchester magistrates court on July 2, as confirmed by Essex police. The charges stem from an incident where a drink was thrown at Farage in the area of Marine Parade East at approximately 2:10 pm on Tuesday.
Farage was targeted with a yellow liquid from a McDonald’s cup as he was leaving the Moon and Starfish pub on Clacton’s seafront, moments before boarding a campaign bus. Prior to the incident, he had spoken to a crowd of several hundred people nearby, announcing his candidacy for the upcoming election in the constituency.
Following the incident, a 44-year-old man who was initially arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker has been released without further action by the police. This is not the first time Farage has been a victim of “milkshaking,” with a similar incident occurring in 2019 where he was hit with a milkshake while campaigning in Newcastle.
In a video posted on social media, Farage addressed the recent milkshake incident with humor as he humorously raised a McDonald’s milkshake in his hand, saying, “My milkshake brings all the people to the rally.” Such incidents of milkshake-throwing at political figures have become increasingly common as a form of protest. The act has sparked debates about the line between peaceful protest and assault, reflecting the polarizing nature of political discourse.