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The man who ran on stage during the Labour Party conference to throw glitter on Sir Keir Starmer says he “crossed the line”.<\/p>\n
Yaz Ashmawi has admitted to tipping glitter over the Opposition leader and grabbing him just before he delivered a speech in Liverpool on Tuesday. Speaking to the Politics Uncensored podcast on Fubar Radio, Ashmawi said he took \u201cresponsibility\u201d for what he did and apologised for making Sir Keir feel unsafe.<\/p>\n
He told show host Ali Milani on Thursday: \u201cThe thought that, even for a moment, he felt that he was in danger is horrible to think about. I think it is absolutely fine to pour glitter on someone and to go onto the stage. I just think it is physical contact that crossed the line there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked whether he would like to apologise to the Opposition leader, he said: \u201cYes, absolutely. I\u2019m sorry for doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Don’t miss… <\/strong> Keir Starmer glitter protester unmasked as eco-loon that loves exotic holidays<\/strong><\/p>\n Merseyside Police confirmed it arrested a 28-year-old man from Surrey on suspicion of assault, breach of the peace and causing public nuisance following the stunt. On Thursday, the force said the man \u2014 who Ashmawi has confirmed is him \u2014 has been bailed pending further inquiries.<\/p>\n Ashmawi says he was kept in a cell for 22 hours after the arrest. He says he carried out the protest because he is part of a group called People Demand Democracy, which is calling for reform of the political system.<\/p>\n The campaigner said the group wanted to see an \u201cupgraded form of democracy\u201d, suggesting it backed a more proportional electoral system. After throwing the glitter over Sir Keir, Ashmawi shouted \u201ctrue democracy is citizen-led\u201d.<\/p>\n The protester continued to shout \u201cpolitics needs an update\u201d, \u201cwe demand a people\u2019s house\u201d, \u201cwe are in crisis\u201d and \u201cour whole future is in jeopardy\u201d as he was wrestled to the ground. Ashmawi said he used some chairs to hoist himself up and he \u201chopped\u201d onto the stage where Sir Keir was standing waiting for the applause to subside before addressing those at the ACC Liverpool conference centre.<\/p>\n Don’t miss… <\/strong> Keir Starmer speech thrown into chaos as protester storms stage[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n He said: \u201cThe thing is, I put my hand on his arm and touched him and I think\u2026 politicians, they get a lot of death threats and they have a need to feel safe and I compromised that in that moment by touching him.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cIf Mr Starmer felt that he was threatened\u2026 I take responsibility for that, I want to take full responsibility for my actions.\u201d<\/p>\n Sir Keir pushed the activist away from the microphone with his right arm before security arrived. After removing his jacket, the Labour leader said \u201cif he thinks that bothers me, he doesn\u2019t know me\u201d, before beginning his speech with glitter on the shoulders of his white shirt.<\/p>\n Sir Keir, who has repeatedly highlighted how he has reformed the party since Jeremy Corbyn\u2019s leadership, said \u201cprotest or power, this is why we changed our party\u201d. Since the incident, Labour has been advertising \u00a320 T-shirts for sale with the slogan: \u201cSparkle with Starmer\u201d.<\/p>\n The party\u2019s leader has said he was determined not to let an \u201cidiot\u201d get in the way of him delivering his speech. In interviews after the incident, Sir Keir said he checked his wife, Victoria, who was in the front row of the conference hall, was all right before continuing.<\/p>\n He admitted to Sky News that the incident \u201ccould have been a lot worse\u201d, with questions raised about the level of security in place for the politician who could be the next prime minister.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/139\/590x\/secondary\/5009530.jpg?r=1697153359713\")
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