Police seek protester after hair-pulling incident at Reform UK conference
Audience clash during protest disrupts Farage's speech
Last updated 5th Sep 2026
West Midlands Police are calling for a protester to come forward after footage emerged showing audience members at the Reform UK conference pulling her hair and grabbing her head.
Although no direct complaint has been filed, the police are eager to talk to the woman involved to proceed with further investigations.
The disturbance took place during the annual Reform UK conference at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, where demonstrators interrupted speeches multiple times.
One of the disruptions occurred during Nigel Farage's keynote speech, following his deputy Richard Tice's address where a banner referencing a donation scandal was displayed.
Farage reportedly laughed and made light of the situation, commenting, "We've got a screamer. Oh dear," and describing a protester as looking like she might injure herself.
A West Midlands Police statement requested the woman depicted in the video to contact them, using log number 924 of 5th September 2026, to help with inquiries.
Activist group Climate Resistance has taken responsibility for the demonstration and expressed outrage at the audience's violent responses to their protesters.
Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf condemned the actions of members involved in pulling the protester’s hair, addressing a conference fringe event.
Yusuf declared, "On the question of whether I condemn people punching people, yes, I condemn people punching people."
The first day of the Reform conference witnessed multiple protests, including a banner during Tice's speech that accused the party leader of financial misdeeds and a disruption during Farage's speech with another banner reading “Reform works for billionaires.”
Audience hostility was evident as protestors were booed and told to leave, with the event proceedings repeatedly interrupted.
A spokesperson for Climate Resistance emphasized their horror at the aggression shown by some members of the audience and called for Farage to ensure supporters are controlled and peaceful.
The protest highlights simmering tensions around donations and influences within political circles, with activists asserting their right to hold figures accountable without fear of violence.