A group of protesters backing US president Donald Trump and Brexit have disrupted a speech by the London mayor Sadiq Khan.
Mr Kahn's address on gender equality to the Fabian Society in central London was suspended for several minutes on Saturday morning while demonstrators from a group called the White Pendragons made their protest.
Shortly after Mr Khan began speaking at the society’s new year conference, one man told the audience: “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re here today to make a non-violent, peaceful citizen’s arrest.”
Audience members began to heckle and slow-clap, and security guards entered the auditorium.
However their attempts to eject those responsible for the disruption were initially met with aversion from the protesters, one of whom could be heard saying: “We stand under Common Law jurisdiction. “If you touch us, you’ll be done for common assault. Please stand back, do not touch us. “We’re not leaving, we’ve paid for a ticket.” He then accused the Fabian Society of “subverting” the constitution.
The protesters resisted attempts to remove them, claiming they would sue anyone who touched them for “common assault”. Several police officers then moved in to escort them from the venue.
When Mr Khan resumed his speech he quipped: “On the plus side, I wasn’t served with a P45” - a reference to British prime minister Theresa May’s disastrous Tory conference speech that was interrupted by a prankster.
The London mayor added: “It is a pleasure to be here even though we were distracted by the actions of what some would call very stable geniuses.”
Last Saturday Mr Trump, used the same phrase to describe himself
in a tweet following questions about his mental health. –Guardian and PA