Teen activist Thomas Moffitt, also known as Young Bob, was assaulted and robbed while running a public immigration debate stand on Manchester’s Market Street on Monday afternoon. The incident underscores rising tensions surrounding immigration activism in the city.
The attack occurred near a bubble tea shop when a group of men approached Moffitt, dragged him to the ground, and subjected him to punches and kicks. He briefly lost consciousness and sustained bruises and cuts to his face, neck, and back. Paramedics treated him at the scene before he sought further hospital attention.
Video footage shared online captures the assault as well as a second attempted attack while Moffitt tried to recover his belongings. During the incident, several tripods and cameras were either stolen or damaged, including a camera battery that exploded.
Police arrived approximately five minutes after the assault and managed to recover some of the stolen items. However, no arrests had been made by the evening. Moffitt still retains the memory card from one of the damaged cameras, hoping it might help identify the attackers.
Moffitt alleges that members of the counter-protest group Stand Up to Racism encouraged the assault and recorded the event. He claims that police did not intervene with those individuals or seek their footage. These allegations have not been independently verified, and Greater Manchester Police have not issued a public comment on the matter.
The pro-life, Christian activist, known for his controversial views on immigration, described the incident as an “eye-opener” that has prompted him to begin self-defence training. He plans to return to Manchester with security for a future “mass deportation” event amid ongoing tensions between immigration protesters and counter-demonstrators in the city.
Originally published by UKNIP.
