TalkTV Presenter Accused of Assault After Dragging Climate Protester From UK Trump Dinner

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A TalkTV presenter has denied assaulting a climate protester at a Republican dinner during Donald Trump’s visit last week, after being filmed dragging him from the room.

During a Republicans Overseas dinner organised by TalkTV host André Walker last Tuesday (16th September) in Windsor – the night President Trump arrived in the UK – Fossil Free London interrupted the event with founder Robin Wells attempting to give a speech about the climate crisis and Donald Trump’s threats to the environment. 

She was joined by campaigner and doctor Kush Naker. Both unfurled a banner, and began chanting: “If you drill baby drill, how many will you kill?” The pair had infiltrated the event with valid tickets.

Video taken by other protesters present shows several attendees approaching the two activists, and one appears to pull a banner from Naker’s hand. 

TalkTV host André Walker is then shown approaching Naker, grabbing him by the arm. Naker drops to the floor.

With another attendee, Walker is shown dragging Naker from the main dining hall, with Naker lying on his back, through a lobby into a separate room on the other side. When Naker has been dragged into the room, the door is closed.

Naker alleges that while he was on the floor Walker got on his knees on top of him and reached for his neck, as if trying to strangle him.

He further alleges that Walker tried to swing several punches at him whilst he was on the ground, which he claims he prevented by grabbing Walker’s wrists.

And Naker claims the host then moved his knee towards Kush’s groin, in what Naker took to be an attempt to knee him in the genitals. Naker says he responded by trapping Walker’s leg between his own.

According to Naker, the altercation lasted for about a minute until, he says, Walker became exhausted from their struggle.

Separately, footage filmed by a journalist present shows Fossil Free London’s director Robin Wells being slapped twice by an unknown attendee. Wells repeats the phrase: “That’s assault” afterwards as the woman walks away.

Naker says he asked a venue staff member to call the police. The venue has confirmed that a member of staff did call the police. Thames Valley Police has been contacted for comment.

Walker denies any allegations of assault. In a call with Byline Times, he said: “The quote I would always give is always the same: I strongly believe in free speech, and when somebody attempts to subvert that by shouting people down, I would stop it.”

He added: “There are no criminal allegations. They haven’t made any. The only people they’ve phoned are you. Always remember something – if you start printing a load of allegations against me in the absence of any evidence, you’ll just look like a dickhead. And also, how would you feel if it happened to you?” 

A source close to Walker said: “The claim that André ‘assaulted’ (a criminal offence) or that he attempted to ‘punch’, ‘kick’, or ‘strangle’ anyone is defamatory and untrue.  There is video evidence that proves that it cannot be so [it is not clear what evidence they are referring to].  We do not consider that reporting the allegation and denial would be lawful.”

Walker is understood to argue that nobody stopped the activist “until he started shouting.” In video footage after the altercation Walker repeats “I’m nearly 50” and that he is “absolutely knackered.”

Naker says he sustained minor injuries including biting his tongue, soreness around his jaw and right wrist, and found blood on his shirt that wasn’t his own. 

Naker told Byline Times: “Once [Robin Wells] finished making her speech, she started saying “oily money kills” and we both started chanting together, saying the same phrase.

“Nobody came up and spoke to me or asked me to leave. There was a guy that came and grabbed the banner away. I had another banner in my other pocket, so I started reaching for that. As I was reaching for it, [André Walker] didn’t speak to me, [he] just came over, grabbed me, yanked me to the ground, and started dragging me out.”

“They take me out of the main hall where the dinner is taking place, through a lobby foyer into another room on the opposite side, then close the door behind them.

“I’m not sure whether he [then] fell onto me or whether he tried to pin me down to shut me up, but he was definitely reaching for my neck and seemingly trying to strangle me.”

Naker insists: “I was on the floor and he was essentially on his knees on top of me, trying to throttle me. I was able to hold him back from his wrists. Then he tried to swing a few punches, and again I was able to grab his wrists before any of them landed.”

Naker says he was still on the floor: “I think he was [then] trying to kick me in the balls. He was basically moving his knee towards my groin, at which point I closed my legs to trap his leg.”

He continued: “Eventually, I think he just got tired out from me holding him away and him trying to fight against me…He relaxed a bit and got himself up, but was still holding onto me. At that point I got up and started trying to chant again, walking back into the room we were originally in. Every time I did that – two or three times – he just grabbed me with both arms and pushed me away from the door, trying to make sure the door was closed.”

“Just as he was getting up and off me, there was a woman who came into the room who I think worked for the venue. I said, “Can you call the police?” and she said, “The police have already been called.” Naker and fellow protesters were then led out of the venue from a side door. 

A spokesman for André Walker said: “This entire incident was caught on video, claiming that Mr Walker did anything other than remove a disruptive protestor would be as demonstrably untrue as the nonsense the protestor was shouting before he was removed from the dinner.”

The protesters dispute that the ‘entire incident’ was caught on a public video, claiming there was a gap after Naker was dragged into the side-room and the door closed, blocking fellow campaigners from entering. Naker has requested CCTV footage from the venue.

Robin Wells said that after the incident, Walker “audaciously” messaged them on Twitter, saying it was him who dragged a protester out. He also released a video boasting of removing “terrorists” from the venue. 

Wells adds: “He then called the press line and said the same thing to me. I gently said ‘Look, you’ve assaulted one of us. I don’t think it’s really appropriate as a means of invitation to start with assault and then request conversation.’”

A Thames Valley Police spokesperson confirmed the incident had been reported and was being investigated.

The police spokesperson told Byline Times: “We received a report of an assault with injury at around 8.30pm on Tuesday, 16 September, at Windsor Guildhall.

“Officers are carrying out a thorough investigation into this incident and ask anyone with information or footage to contact the force, quoting investigation reference number 43250481758.”

But Fossil Free London’s Robin Wells said the pair were “not holding our breath”. 

“From [the police officer killing of] Sarah Everard to the Casey report [into police misconduct], time and time again it’s been made clear that the police are not there to serve or protect us.”

On being slapped, Wells said: “Whilst being held by one chap who was taking me out, I was slapped twice by an older woman. She was maybe 60-ish, and she came out of the room. It was quite premeditated. She left the room where I had originally done a speech and then been ushered out of…and just came up and stood in front of me and slapped me twice.”

TalkTV did not respond to a request for comment. 

Watch Talk TV Presenter Dragging Out Protester

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Josiah Mortimer also writes the On the Ground column, exclusive to the print edition of Byline Times.

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