Nigel Farage has become the latest political candidate to have a milkshake thrown at him.
The Brexit Party leader was hit while campaigning in Newcastle city centre for the European parliament elections.
Farage was reportedly furious after being hit, telling his security “it’s a failure” and asking “how did that happen?”
Chaotic scenes in Newcastle city centre as Nigel Farage hit by a milkshake. He’s been whisked away by his security.… https://t.co/Dj7ZQLvu3D— Sean Seddon (@Sean Seddon) 1558354362
The “milkshaking” follows repeated drenchings of UKIP candidate Carl Benjamin and anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson.
The blow to Farage shows how some voters connect him to those candidates, who have been called far right.
Farage has got Tommy Robinson’d... https://t.co/S2vvCryHBE— Tom Newton Dunn (@Tom Newton Dunn) 1558354693
Farage even commented on the incident, claiming that Remainers have become "radicalised".
Sadly some remainers have become radicalised, to the extent that normal campaigning is becoming impossible. For a… https://t.co/iJghsnBY7k— Nigel Farage (@Nigel Farage) 1558356103
And people obviously had a lot of thoughts about the latest ambush.
One milkshake. One. Didn't even go on his head. And Farage gets upset, shouts at staff, is led away like a naughty… https://t.co/NHt5Yy8a7N— Ian Dunt (@Ian Dunt) 1558355055
Newcastle hasn't seen a long range shot like that from the left wing since the days of Laurent Robert. https://t.co/dwQD27atrT— Jonny Sharples (@Jonny Sharples) 1558356076
He should consider himself lucky. If Brexit happens, lower food standards will mean the milkshakes thrown on the Ha… https://t.co/UWPfqUn2sF— Jo Maugham (@Jo Maugham) 1558355562
Lactose the intolerant 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 https://t.co/zTUK0kfRUK— Molly⁷ (@Molly⁷) 1558355679
Seriously, there were so many...
Low viscosity on this one, must have been lacking in ice cream but still did the job https://t.co/dlR2qR6qLr— Joseph / йосиф сташко🇺🇦 (@Joseph / йосиф сташко🇺🇦) 1558354491
so many things to love about the milkshake response to fascists, but mostly how impossible it is for someone to mai… https://t.co/mIE0n3JQjr— Dr Charlotte Lydia Riley (@Dr Charlotte Lydia Riley) 1558356027
"It's a failure!" "Actually, I think it's Strawberry Sir.." "SHUT UP!" https://t.co/4n1hiAiCLg— Stephen McGann💙 (@Stephen McGann💙) 1558356477
twenty one minutes. what a city https://t.co/C1u3Os3ikB— edie (@edie) 1558356380
However, some condemned the action, such as Brexit Party candidates Martin Daubney and Jonathan Arnott.
Sadly, the people of the North East have been let down today by one mindless act of intimidation. I await proper,… https://t.co/4a6D5asplG— Jonathan Arnott (@Jonathan Arnott) 1558355042
“Kinder, gentler politics”. Look on the bright side: this is more votes for the @brexitparty_uk https://t.co/Tna7AUObvP— Martin Daubney ✌🏻🇬🇧 (@Martin Daubney ✌🏻🇬🇧) 1558355535
And conservative academic Adrian Hilton.
While other commentators made the point that praising people for throwing milkshakes at politicians like Farage makes it harder to criticise political violence against others.
In all seriousness, you can't really take joy in some politicians having objects thrown at them and then condemn vi… https://t.co/J7EOLxroBH— Ben Kentish (@Ben Kentish) 1558355762
The craze for embarrassing right-wing politicians is so widespread that police asked a McDonald’s restaurant in Edinburgh to stop selling milkshakes when Farage visited for a campaign rally last week.
People have also tried to work out why the milkshake has become such a popular symbol of protest.
Dr Ivan Gololobov, who studies radical youth subcultures and anti-politics, told the New Statesman:
Street action itself is worth almost nothing if it does not have an online follow-up. Milkshake on a figure who pretends to be serious and well-established has become an incredibly powerful image destroying the platform of seriousness for the likes of Robinson and Benjamin…
It makes them look foolish, undermining their self-image of power and control. The bathos of the great leader brought low by a drink associated with children is highly effective.