Katie Hopkins humiliated at Brunel University debate as students stage mass walk out
STUDENTS at Brunel University staged a mass walk out in protest against Katie Hopkins this week.
Katie Hopkins caused a mass walk out at Brunel yesterday
The controversial columnist was invited to talk at a debate at the London institution on the subject of the welfare state, when the embarrassing incident occurred.
As soon as the 40-year-old started talking, the majority of the crowd stood up and turned their backs to her, before exiting the theatre.
Brunel Student Union communications manager Joe Nicell is said to have confirmed that around 50 people were involved in the protest at the sold out event.
He said objections to her speaking were first raised back in October, and that the walk out had been planned for some time.
Brunel Students walk out on Katie Hopkins
The star was taking part in a debate on the welfare state
"It was mainly that we didn't feel that she fitted the debate and she wasn’t the right person to be speaking," Joe told The Independent.
Former Celebrity Big Brother star Katie has sparked outrage on countless occasions, and in April branded Syrian refugees "cockroaches" and "feral humans".
In a story addressing the protest, Ali Milani, the president of Brunel’s student union, condemned her as the "physical manifestation of online trolls".
Here's my handy list of labels for the students @Bruneluni to stick on me later. Don't label. Debate. #bruneldebates pic.twitter.com/JEQP51pom4
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) November 23, 2015
Katie has failed to address the incident on Twitter
"It is important to note that the conversation at no point has been about banning Ms Hopkins from speaking on campus, or denying her right to speak," he said.
Ali added: "It is instead about saying it is distasteful and incongruous for our University, as part of a 50th celebration event, to provide a platform to someone who adds nothing to the intellectual or academic discourse; and an individual who publicly utters such overtly bigoted views," The Independent reported.
Katie had tweeted her 606,000 followers beforehand, writing: "Here's my handy list of labels for the students @Bruneluni to stick on me later. Don't label. Debate. #bruneldebates."
Express.co.uk has contacted a spokesperson for the star following these reports.