Honor Oak attack victim suffered ‘multiple punches’ during anti-drag counter protest
An LGBTQ+ activist, who was left bloodied and beaten during a counter-protest at London’s Honor Oak pub, where anti-drag protests have taken place, has spoken about the attack.
Ada Cable claims to have been punched “multiple” times by an anti-drag protestor on Saturday (24 June), leaving her with a mild concussion, two black eyes and a possible broken nose while her face was “covered in blood”.
Her injuries resulted in her going to hospital.
Initially, the Metropolitan Police told PinkNews there was no reason to believe the activist’s injuries were caused by one of their officers, but, on Monday (26 June), a spokesperson said it was “possible” that the activist was hurt while an officer was making an arrest.
Cable told PinkNews that at around 5.40am the anti-drag rally’s organisers, Turning Point UK (TPUK) – an offshoot of an American right-wing group, closely aligned with indicted former US president Donald Trump – arrived at the pub and began shouting “pedophiles” and “groomer” at the counter-protestors.
She claimed that a Territorial Support Group (TSG) police van and undercover officer in an unmarked car witnessed TPUK challenging people to fights, which led to her group – mostly made up of non-binary, trans and queer people – holding their flags up in unison for protection.
The anti-drag protestors allegedly then began snapping the flags before throwing plastic bottles filled with water, and a one made of glass, at them.
*‘My face was covered in blood’ *
Cable said she clung to her flag when an anti-drag protestor punched her twice on the left of her face, hitting her forehead, nose and eye, after which she recalls getting a gauze from her first aid kit.
“My face was covered in blood,” she added. “It seemed that everyone had gotten punched in the head a few times at least, so everyone went through concussion checks with [one another].
“I was mildly disoriented for about two hours afterwards, and clumsier than normal and forgetting things.”
Around five minutes after the alleged attack, a TSG officer intervened to stop TPUK breaking the flags, before an officer “charged in and began grabbing and shoving people”, around 30 minutes later, Cable went on to say.
“I was still crouched on the floor, but one of them punched me in the face. I can tell the difference between a shove and a punch.
“This was a punch, on my right eye – I’ve got a second black eye which I didn’t have before the police tried to arrest that person.”
Cable went to A&E after the protest where it was confirmed she had a mild concussion. She was told to return for a tetanus shot and a follow-up with a specialist team regarding a possible broken nose.
“I don’t want fascists in Lewisham, TPUK or otherwise. They attacked us without provocation, they’re not safe and they’re clearly not welcome,” she said.
It was claimed that that Cable drew fake blood on herself with a red pen, but she dismissed this is a “conspiracy theory”.
Contributor to @Glinner's substack here already posting disinformation trying to accuse one of the victims of today's neonazi attack in South London of faking her injuries. pic.twitter.com/q6EGWVbzJp
— Mallory Moore (@Chican3ry) June 24, 2023
“The gender-critical movement, from its street fascist thugs to parliament, is built on conspiracy theories and cannot survive without them,” Cable said.
A reporter at the scene, Jess O’Thomson, confirmed on Twitter that the pen pictured in her pocket was a black Manuscript pen.
I can confirm the 'red pen' was one these pens because I am the one who lent it to Ada. I order them in bulk. They are my favourite writing pen. And as a writer I always have spare pens to lend people. https://t.co/T58Q7Mm31v pic.twitter.com/aCzxCF1bor
— Jess O'Thomson
(@jessothomson) June 27, 2023