Video footage has emerged showing the hideous response from Senator Fraser Anning’s supporters towards the teenager who egged him.
Following the terror attack in New Zealand on Friday (March 15) which left 50 innocent people dead and 50 more wounded, the Australian senator blamed the terrorist’s actions on immigration and the increasing presence of Muslims in the country.
One boy who was unwilling to let Anning’s comments slide was 17-year-old Will Connolly, who took decisive action by smashing an egg on the senator’s head at a Conservative National Party Meeting in Melbourne yesterday.
A teenager dubbed "egg boy" has become the talk of the internet after he threw an egg at an Australian politician who blamed Muslim immigration for the Christchurch terror attack | https://t.co/BvG85snWej pic.twitter.com/XSXMNUmvL1
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 17, 2019
Videos of the moment the teenager egged Anning quickly went viral, with several (extremely satisfying) GIFs showing the exact moment the egg hits the senator’s head.
However, now another video – taken by Connolly himself – has emerged, showing the moment Anning’s men turned on the 17-year-old and put him in a chokehold.
The distressing video shows the teenager being tackled by a group of men – one of which has his arm firmly around the boy’s neck – with Connolly struggling to keep his composure as he’s dragged around.
You can watch what happens below:
This is what Fraser Anning’s right-wing lads did to the boy. #auspol #FraserAnning pic.twitter.com/sJNzRLppG5
— Paul Barry (@TheRealPBarry) March 16, 2019
When you take into account that these are grown men surrounding a 17-year-old boy, the appalling moment becomes even more disturbing. And in what world is such a violent act a necessary or appropriate response to someone egging another person?
Connolly himself, aka Australia’s newest hero, Egg Boy, was arrested by police, who took his details and then released him without charge, The Telegraph reports.
Shortly after the incident, the 17-year-old took to social media to warn others not to follow in his footsteps.
Although his Twitter account has now been suspended, the video has been circulated on the platform by others:
Egg boy on the egging: pic.twitter.com/bZMFFg6jA0
— Rashida Yosufzai (@Rashidajourno) March 16, 2019
The teenager addressed his growing fan base, saying:
Don’t egg a politician, you’ll get tackled by 30 bogans at the same time, I learnt the hard way.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joined the public condemnation of Anning earlier today (March 17); when asked by a journalist what she thought of the senator’s comments, The Telegraph reports she replied, ‘they’re a disgrace’.
The Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also sided with the 17-year-old, telling reporters: ‘The full force of the law should be applied to Senator Anning’.
If you’re concerned and need to contact a friend or relative please visit the International Committee of the Red Cross, who have set up a website by which you can restore links and register your own safety.
A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).