Trump adviser Steve Bannon is smuggled into Oxford Union in back of police van to give speech

Former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon reportedly had to be smuggled into a university talk in the back of a police van to avoid angry protesters.

The controversial right-wing strategist spoke at the Oxford Union last night where some 1,000 protesters clashed with police outside the campus.

He sparked furious scenes at the student event as he compared the KKK to Black Lives Matter.

Hundreds surrounded the police cordon and body-slammed into officers protecting the two main entrances as officers blocked marchers getting inside.  

The gates were said to have been shut by police two hours before Bannon was due to arrive at the event and numerous police officers in full riot gear were needed to get him inside, the Oxford Mail reports. 

 

Steve Bannon – Donald Trump’s former chief strategist – is viewed by some as a Machiavellian figure and the mastermind behind Trump’s campaign strategy in the 2016 Presidential election

Protestors outside the Oxford Union jostle with police as they try to keep them back with a cordon and police vehicles

Protestors outside the Oxford Union jostle with police as they try to keep them back with a cordon and police vehicles

Despite the crush outside and the Union turning away hundreds of members, saying the hall was full, the auditorium was reportedly half empty when Bannon made his address.

The Union’s press secretary confirmed to the Times that the hall was half empty. 

While Bannon, 64, spoke inside the hallowed Oxford Union halls, protesters chanted: ‘The police protect the Nazis!’, ‘Say it loud, say it clear, Bannon is not welcome here!’.

The march became violent as around 1,000 outraged protesters gathered in the narrow streets surrounding the historic union building.

He used his talk to defend his efforts to spread a ‘nationalist populist movement’ across Europe and has spoken as many events around the Continent. 

The former White House Chief Strategist has faced accusations of stirring up racial tensions.

A protester holds a rainbow umbrellas high as she stands close to a police van and is surrounded by supporters, holding placards which say 'KICK RACISM OFF OUR CAMPUS' 

A protester holds a rainbow umbrellas high as she stands close to a police van and is surrounded by supporters, holding placards which say ‘KICK RACISM OFF OUR CAMPUS’ 

Bannon told the audience 'Nazis and the KKK have no place in our society, they should have never been allowed to march in Charlottesville'

Bannon told the audience ‘Nazis and the KKK have no place in our society, they should have never been allowed to march in Charlottesville’

He is seen by some as the Machiavellian mastermind behind President Trump’s highly controversial and successful Presidential campaigning.  

Bannon told the union audience: ‘Nazis and the KKK have no place in our society, they should have never been allowed to march in Charlottesville.

‘The same can be said about Antifa and Black Lives Matter – they shouldn’t be allowed to do what they are doing.’ 

He said of former NBC host: ‘I said I wanna unchain the dogs on Megyn Kelly and I’m proud of it – politics is war by other methods.’

He also defended the travel ban enacted by the Trump administration, saying: ‘I did the original travel ban, it made our citizens safer. Zero-tolerance at the border is a humanitarian policy.’

Protestors, some with their faces covered, barge police officers who try to keep order on the streets of Oxford

Protestors, some with their faces covered, barge police officers who try to keep order on the streets of Oxford

Thames Valley Police earlier last night as students gathered from 2.30pm to protest Bannon's presence

Thames Valley Police earlier last night as students gathered from 2.30pm to protest Bannon’s presence

The police try to keep protesters away as they chanted references to Mark Duggan and the police being killers

The police try to keep protesters away as they chanted references to Mark Duggan and the police being killers

Bannon is touring Europe as he promotes a new Brussels-based pressure group called The Movement. 

Michael, 20, a history student, said: ‘I really dislike this pattern in the union of people who are chosen to give a platform – because they had Alice Weidel from the AfD (Alternative for Germany) and Tommy Robinson.

‘It gives a platform and legitimises the worst kind of political force.

‘I particularly object to how the YouTube channel broadcast this to a far bigger audience than at the Oxford Union.’

The Oxford Union is a debating society which dates back to 1823 with a long tradition of promoting freedom of speech, but some recent guests have infuriated students.

Maritz, aged 26 years, an Austrian student studying politics in Oxford said: ‘I’m here to protest against the Student Union events being used for right-wing personalities. I am Austrian and we already have a fascist government so it’s important to fight right-wing politics while we still can.’ 

Protesters hold signs denouncing fascism and racism, as Bannon tells the union, 'Zero-tolerance at the border is a humanitarian policy'

Protesters hold signs denouncing fascism and racism, as Bannon tells the union, ‘Zero-tolerance at the border is a humanitarian policy’

An Oxford student holds a sign which says 'You shall not pasaran,' which blends Gandalf's well-known phrase, with the famous communist speech by Dolores Ibárruri Gómez during the Siege of Madrid by Generalísimo Francisco Franco's fascist forces in 1936

An Oxford student holds a sign which says ‘You shall not pasaran,’ which blends Gandalf’s well-known phrase, with the famous communist speech by Dolores Ibárruri Gómez during the Siege of Madrid by Generalísimo Francisco Franco’s fascist forces in 1936

Nick Grant, 65, a member of the Socialist Worker Party said: ‘We are socialists who oppose Steve Bannon quite fundamentally. He is someone who is trying to organize internationally for right-wing political forces which oppose migrants, women, sexual minorities and organised workers.

‘We believe he is a neo-Facist who historically big business organisations turn to at a time of economic crisis.’ 

There were no arrests by police, despite the protest turning ugly, with shouts of, ‘Who killed Mark Duggan? The police killed Mark Duggan!’

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: ‘Officers are on the scene of a protest in Oxford.

‘We were aware of planned protest activity around the Oxford Union in St Michael’s Street. Officers are currently in the area working to prevent any incidents of crime and disorder.’

Bannon was delayed in leaving the Oxford Union afterwards by more than an hour as police tried to quell the tempers of the protestors so he could pass safely.

Union officers had been unaware of Bannon’s invitation after their president, Stephen Horvath, kept it quiet ‘for security reasons.’

Protestors were heard chanting ‘Horvath out’ as Police attempted to contain them. 

Around 1,000 protesters were pressed against the railings of the union, one can be seen holding a 'BLACK LIVES MATTER' sign

Around 1,000 protesters were pressed against the railings of the union, one can be seen holding a ‘BLACK LIVES MATTER’ sign

Bannon was delayed by over an hour as the protest turned ugly and the police officers were accused of defending a Nazi

Bannon was delayed by over an hour as the protest turned ugly and the police officers were accused of defending a Nazi

One student member told that it was ‘impossible to get into the back entrance they were sending people to’ as the event had become a ‘picket line’ with a people being ‘thrown to the ground.’

The Union President avoided having to disinvite Donald Trump’s former strategist after narrowly winning a debate in which Union Secretary, Nick Brown, accused Horvath of ‘hosting a white nationalist’ and attempting to ‘prevent protest’ by announcing the event with only two days’ notice.

Six committee members voted to rescind Bannon’s invitation but seven chose to follow their President’s argument that allowing the event to go ahead would encourage students to properly justify their own views.

Mr Horvath argued that ‘you can bask in the glory of your own self-righteousness’ when speakers you agree with address the Union.

Oxford Stand Up to Racism published an open letter criticizing the Oxford Union, writing that, ‘The Oxford Union is once again giving a platform to a far right speaker, and by doing so legitmizing racism.

Crowds chant outside the Oxford Union, a megaphone can be seen, as can a sign deploring 'Borders, Racism, Transphobia, Sexism'

Crowds chant outside the Oxford Union, a megaphone can be seen, as can a sign deploring ‘Borders, Racism, Transphobia, Sexism’

Bannon is attempting to build an Islamophobic international of far-right groups and is looking to fascist Tommy Robinson here in Britain as a key figure for his movement. Bannon was the white supremacists’ link to Donald Trump’s White House.’ 

He was greeted in similar style in Edinburgh just days ago as he attended an international media event hosted by the BBC.

Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, withdrew from the event when she learned that Bannon would be one of the main speakers.

‘These are not racist views,’ he said in Scotland’s capital. ‘In fact populist nationalism, which I’ve been working on for nine or 10 years, is the exact opposite.’

Bannon claimed his brand of nationalism was ‘catching fire around the world.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk