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Suspected trans rights protesters disrupted a gender-critical conference by releasing hundreds of live crickets into a packed auditorium.
The protesters, who had been sitting in the crowd, dropped plastic sacks filled with the insects at the annual LGB Alliance conference on Friday.
People could be seen climbing onto chairs as other ran out of the room screaming at Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster.
Security guards quickly entered the room and the audience was told to leave. Four protesters were detained by security and police were called to the building.
LGB Alliance, which was set up in 2019, promotes the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual people who disagree with Stonewall’s stance on transgender issues.
Jamie Reed, a speaker at the event, posted: “Two minutes before I was supposed to speak on the stage a TRA just dumped a bag, full of cockroaches and bugs all across the auditorium and ran out.
“Please take note: I will not be silenced. You can try everything to intimidate me into silence. It will not work. As I was to take the stage at the @AllianceLGB conference a TRA dumped bags of live bugs. We went through two layers of security, including metal detectors.”
A spokesperson for LGB Alliance said: “This afternoon, saboteurs attempted to disrupt the LGB Alliance annual conference by releasing live crickets into the main hall of QEII Centre, Westminster.
“The conference continued, although some planned sessions were cancelled while the venue’s staff dealt with the incident.
“Police were immediately informed and at least one of the saboteurs was apprehended. No further details on the perpetrators are available at this time.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Police were called at 4.24pm on Friday, 11 October to a report of a protest at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Broad Sanctuary.
“Four protesters were reported to have released a number of insects inside the venue. They were detained by security and escorted from the premises by appropriate adults.
“Police have their details and an investigation into the circumstances remains ongoing. There was no arrest.”
