Police have appealed for a woman who was grabbed by the hair and head during a protest at the Reform UK conference to come forward so they can investigate the incident.
Video footage shared across social media captured audience members forcibly restraining a demonstrator as disruption erupted during the event at Birmingham's NEC. The protester was subsequently ejected from the venue after interrupting Nigel Farage's keynote address.
West Midlands Police stated:
We're aware of a video circulating from the Reform UK Conference showing an incident with a protester. We haven't received a complaint but would ask the woman involved to come forward and contact us so we can carry out enquiries.
The incident occurred shortly after a banner was unfurled during the speech of Richard Tice, the party's deputy leader. According to reporting on the disruption, the protester shouted slogans including "You work for billionaires!" and "tax the rich" before being carried out by attendees. The banner itself referenced ongoing scrutiny of party donations linked to Farage.
Farage responded to the disruption by remarking:
That poor young girl, she looked like she was going to do herself an injury, before dismissing the protest as
boring, boring, boring.
Zia Yusuf, Reform UK's home affairs spokesperson, was asked whether he condemned the physical actions taken against the protester. He responded:
On the question of whether I condemn people punching people, yes, I condemn people punching people.
The activist group Climate Resistance claimed responsibility for the protest action. According to the group's statement, they were
horrified at the violencedirected at their protester by conference attendees. Climate Resistance framed the action as part of its broader campaign on taxing the super-rich to fund public services and climate action, with the banner designed to accuse Farage of being backed by billionaires and big business.
The group indicated that the protester is weighing whether to file a formal complaint with police. They emphasised:
It's important protesters can hold him [Farage] to account without fear for their safety.
The timing of the protest coincided with developments in the wider donations controversy engulfing the party. Earlier in the week, two senior Reform UK officials stepped down during an internal investigation into party funding allegations, after undercover footage showed them apparently discussing ways to circumvent electoral law on foreign donations. This scandal had already cast a shadow over the Birmingham conference before the day's disruptions began.
What else happened during the opening day?
The first main day of the Reform conference featured multiple protest incidents beyond the Climate Resistance action. A separate banner appeared during Tice's speech displaying the message "Collect £5 million, burn the planet", which also depicted Farage in a top hat holding a bag of money. The banner remained visible for several minutes before being removed. According to reports of the day's events, this second banner was claimed by Greenpeace and targeted the party's prioritisation of money and fossil-fuel interests.
What happens next?
Climate Resistance stated that the protester is considering whether to come forward to police, meaning a potential formal complaint or further inquiry remains a possibility. The Reform UK conference continued into the following day after the disrupted opening, with the party's official account posting updates on proceedings.
