Owen Jones attacked [split topic]

[king_tubby]

Fucking hell, Owen Jones and his mates attacked after leaving a pub last night.

[Johnny Yesno]

Only reported in HuffPo, as far as I can see:

Owen Jones 'Beaten Up In Blatant Premeditated Assault'
The journalist was celebrating his birthday when he and his friends were attacked.

Owen Jones has claimed he was beaten up in a "blatant premeditated assault" as he celebrated his birthday, suffering injuries to his head and back

In a post on Twitter, the journalist said he was with friends when they were attacked as they left a pub in the early hours of Sunday morning.

He wrote: "Six of us left the pub at 3am and were saying our goodbyes 30 metres away, then a group of 3-4 men left the pub, made a beeline for me, kicked me in the back, threw me on the ground, slamming my head, and kicked me in the skull.

"My friends were punched trying to defend me."

    This is a bit dramatic, so firstly I'm fine, but last night - when I was celebrating my birthday - I was attacked, along with my friends, in a blatant premeditated assault.
    — Owen Jones🌹 (@OwenJones84) August 17, 2019

    Six of us left the pub at 3am and were saying our goodbyes 30 metres away, then a group of 3-4 men left the pub, made a beeline for me, kicked me in the back, threw me on the ground, slamming my head, and kicked me in the skull. My friends were punched trying to defend me.
    — Owen Jones🌹 (@OwenJones84) August 17, 2019

Jones added: "Given the far right attacks I've had in the streets, and generally escalating far right threats I've had, I'm in no doubt as to what this is."

    The group then scarpered: I don't know if they said anything in the melee. I'm fine other than a big bump on my head and a cut back.

    Given the far right attacks I've had in the streets, and generally escalating far right threats I've had, I'm in no doubt as to what this is.
    — Owen Jones🌹 (@OwenJones84) August 17, 2019

    Oh and thanks to my friends, who were assaulted defending me and who I love very much ❤️
    — Owen Jones🌹 (@OwenJones84) August 17, 2019

In January, Jones was subjected to homophobic abuse as he spoke at an anti-austerity demonstration.

The Guardian columnist re-tweeted a video which showed several people shouting "homo" towards him during the event in central London.

Jones added that he was branded a "rent boy" by other activists, who appeared to be mounting a counter-demo to the "Britain is Broken" event, partly organised by the People's Assembly group.

    So, after speaking at today's @pplsassembly rally, I was mobbed by fascists trying to swing punches and who spat down my neck (I know right, yuck, fascist spit!) Thanks to the comrades who kept them at bay. Again, not intimidated by these fash, we are going to defeat you 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/C0MxdlIRZp
    — Owen Jones🌹 (@OwenJones84) January 12, 2019

Jones said that in addition to the verbal abuse, those involved attempted to punch and spit at him.

"So, after speaking at today's [People's Assembly] rally, I was mobbed by fascists trying to swing punches and who spat down my neck (I know right, yuck, fascist spit!)," he wrote on Twitter.

In a statement emailed to HuffPost UK, the Met Police confirmed they were looking into the incident and no arrests have yet been made.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/owen-jones-attacked_uk_5d581b71e4b0eb875f2492d8?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvLnVrLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACc7e6SZG5HmSZVXz6Qe8pVCaxdH4S_VL_XQ8tGSScDWI8kEzZTdcOeVdjFsUq_97feQk781Xkalz9V08UIyzdX39aEQhcR1cZoJ59sm4jJnbOezTKChF_9I0qxoOMFBYe6p_YbbnZMFa5eqO4XMHoV23U9nAd9RW_wVBnPn7xz5

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

I'm sure the entire community of journalism will rally around and say what a disgrace it is.

[pigamus]

I've been worried about this happening for a while. Fucking cunts.

[idunnosomename]

lots of blokes called lee being all "yeah well mouthy remainer little boy. was gonna get a slap sooner rather or later"

funny really since he's hardly a bollocks to brexit QC or anything. it's almost like they don't really understand his politics and there's something else about him they dont like. hmm what could that be

[BritishHobo]

Yeah, looking at comments on this is a grim experience. I find it really astonishing how violent the hatred for Jones is. You've got pundits on the right like JHB or Katie Hopkins who are deeply personal and nasty in what they say, and then you've got Jones, who's pretty fucking inoffensive in how he speaks. But despite doing nothing but presenting his view, the 'so much for the tolerant left!!!!!' free speech brigade treat him like he's a war criminal.

I've a no-holds-barred love for Owen. I think he's fucking brilliant. I can't imagine the strength to keep fighting in the face of that much bile. I would crumble.

[Cuellar]

I've never understood the reaction he gets from so-called 'left wing' people like Linehan. I mean, I know he's gone off the deep end of late but I reckon he still sees himself as 'progressive'

[BritishHobo]

I also maintain that if you showed most of his critics the chapter from Chavs about how accusations of racism are used to discount the issues of working class communities, and you didn't tell them he wrote it, they would agree with the whole thing fervently.

[Zetetic]

Edit: Ignore me.

[Terryfuckwit]

Really not a fan of him saying 'skull' instead of 'head'. Don't like that at all.

[Thursday]

But... but... I thought it was the LEFT who were violent?!

[Crabwalk]

I've never understood the reaction he gets from so-called 'left wing' people like Linehan. I mean, I know he's gone off the deep end of late but I reckon he still sees himself as 'progressive'

Quantick is one of these too. Called him 'Squealer' just yesterday in a since-deleted tweet ('Squealer' being the chosen nickname for Jones from his right wing enemies).

Given Jones' stoicism and general good humour in the face of severe provocation and threats, it's a nickname with clear homophobic roots. Quantick really is a cunt these days.

[Monsieur Verdoux]

Really not a fan of him saying 'skull' instead of 'head'. Don't like that at all.

dont be a fucking weirdo

[Rizla]

The number of cunts giving it "lol he prolly just got a random kicking cos he a mouthy one", I mean yeah mate, who's to say the guys that kicked him in the head were in any way right wing/reactionary? Everyone knows that as many violent assaults are carried out by left-leaning food-bank donors as by racist homophobic thugs.

Loved Jolyon Maugham QC's unneeded climbdown by searchlight. Fucking slimy little cunt.

[Puce Moment]

I also maintain that if you showed most of his critics the chapter from Chavs about how accusations of racism are used to discount the issues of working class communities, and you didn't tell them he wrote it, they would agree with the whole thing fervently.

Absolutely. Academics discussing disenfranchised white, working-class people is as queasy as fuck, but Jones did a good job of tackling this subject. I have major issues with the man, but militant anti-fascists have been fighting fash on the streets for a long, long time. I suspect it will resurge on some level, but lads, my knees are fucked. Can't be doing that anymore. Hearing about activists getting a walloping from the fash was a common occurance in the 80s and 90s, and certainly did not make mainstream news. 

[Funcrusher]

This is obviously appalling and the cunts responsible need banging up.

Quantick is one of these too. Called him 'Squealer' just yesterday in a since-deleted tweet ('Squealer' being the chosen nickname for Jones from his right wing enemies).

He's always referred to as "Little Owen Jones" by the Mumsnet crowd, which again draws on mocking a man for being in some way less than masculine - a tasty cocktail of homophobia and misandry.

[sponk]

Truly horrible. Hope he's ok and the attackers are caught.

People who've incited and celebrated attacks on political figures they disagree with are now condemning this, predictably. You know who you are and I hope this makes you have second thoughts about glorifying political violence in the future.

[Cuellar]

Can't think what you're referring to.

[idunnosomename]

I've never understood the reaction he gets from so-called 'left wing' people like Linehan. I mean, I know he's gone off the deep end of late but I reckon he still sees himself as 'progressive'

i forgot are graham had a weird obsession with him. It's because he sees him as a "woke bloke", presumably because he takes a socially liberal queer perspective of things? While Glinner is a fucking horrible elderly reactionary?

See him at the moment existentially aghast that the TERF movement is intrinsically alt-right

[idunnosomename]

Can't think what you're referring to.

squealer lucky are boys weren't wielding milkshakes! then this'd be all over the front pages. tho he'd probably look the same as any night out!! haha! (covered in cum, gay boy!)

[Puce Moment]

Why wouldn't it descend to physical action? Surely that's inevitable? Even that shit Facebook group The Last Person to Enter Parliament with honest intentions was Guy Fawkes condemned the milkshaking of Yaxley. The irony is jaw dropping.

We have also spent the last 12 months or so celebrating brave Suffragettes. Is it cognitive dissonance that lets people think that violence in politics is ok as long as it was before they were born, or when photos were black and white?

[idunnosomename]

Oh also there's a lot of Jussie Smollett accusations - like "hurr where are the pics" even though he said he's fine and just is a bit bruised and shaken up.

Not to mention the BBC called him a "labour activist" when he's an actual journalist.

It's all fucking atrocious.

Yes, the Chavs book was really against the grain at the time. Doesn't really matter he's not "true" working class, he really does care about people. Such a shame he gets so much shit for it though

[Johnny Yesno]

Quantick is one of these too. Called him 'Squealer' just yesterday in a since-deleted tweet ('Squealer' being the chosen nickname for Jones from his right wing enemies).

Given Jones' stoicism and general good humour in the face of severe provocation and threats, it's a nickname with clear homophobic roots. Quantick really is a cunt these days.

I'll never forgive him for Bussmann and Quantick Kingsize. What an absolute smug pile of wank that was.

[biggytitbo]

Obviously whoever did it it is a horrible thing to happen and unacceptable, but aren't they jumping to conclusions a bit that it's the 'far right'? What is that based on? A bunch of drunken twats at 3am spotted someone off the telly and had a pop at him, seems as likely an explanation without spinning off on some preconceived and useful narrative.

People who've incited and celebrated attacks on political figures they disagree with are now condemning this, predictably. You know who you are and I hope this makes you have second thoughts about glorifying political violence in the future.

Who has done this? I know a few people found it funny when Farage got milkshaked, missing the point that in this day and age if someone throws a liquid on someone the victim is likely to be momentarily terrified it is an acid attack, which is actually horrible and potentially traumatising, so its not some funny trivial thing. This stuff is really easy, just condemn any politically motivated violence against whoever it is.

[Johnny Yesno]

Right on cue, our resident neo-nazi apologist returns to the fray.

[Cuellar]

Head kicked in = getting damp

[Johnny Yesno]

I should know better by now but somehow I'm always astonished at just how much of a contemptible dunce our man is.

[jobotic]

Fucking Brexit tossers, never ever take responsibility for what they've done.

[idunnosomename]

lol farage traumatised by the idea he might have been drenched in battery acid but then wasnt

[Cuellar]

Must have been absolute hell for him. Could that liquid in a cardboard cup be powerful acid? Impossible to say. Utterly terrifying.