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21 May 2019updated 07 Jun 2021 3:55pm

No, throwing milkshake at someone is not an act of political violence

By Jonn Elledge

Like all genuinely awful people, Richard Spencer probably quite liked the idea of inspiring a meme, but I very much doubt he wanted the one he’s famous for. In January 2017, in the middle of an on-camera interview, the American white nationalist was punched in the face by a man wearing a mask. The footage escaped into the internet, as decent footage tends to do, and then the floodgates opened.

To this day, you can find videos online of Spencer being punched to the Eastenders theme tune; to “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins; to Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On”. You can still, if you want, lose an hour to watching Richard Spencer get punched in the face, without getting bored. I got quite close, just then.

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