“Milkshaking” is a hilarious trend in Britain where a milkshake is thrown at and ideally lands on a far-right politician or activist. The point of this nonviolence protest is to humiliate them without causing injury. Physical injury at least. There’s no doubt that milkshaking has led to a few bruised egos. Not only is this act brilliant, but it’s working to fight fascism overseas. Perhaps we need to bring this to America! Here’s a look at some recent milkshaking highlights.
The Politicians Being Milkshaked
The trend of milkshaking, which started just this month, has hit several far-right politicians so far, significantly impacting their campaigning efforts. While on the campaign trail, far-right politician Tommy Robinson was the first to be milkshaked, having one thrown at him in Bury. He was milkshaked again the very next day, to which he responded by punching the person who threw it. Sounds about right! Robinson’s supporters then continued to harass the milkshaker, even sending him death threats.
Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage was hit by a Five Guys milkshake, which he later blamed on “radicalized Remainers” looking to disrupt normal campaigning. The milkshaker was arrested for assault, but just a few days later, Farage found himself trapped on his campaign bus surrounded by milkshakers. What a sight that must have been! UKIP candidate Carl Benjamin and other members of the UK Independence Party and Brexit Party have been targeted by milkshakers as well.
Why Milkshaking Works
Politicians of the far-right often see themselves as superior and go out of their way to put down others. If you’ve read any of Donald Trump’s tweets, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. They’re so cocky that they think they’re immune to embarrassment, but that’s not the case when they come across an activist with a milkshake.
British writer and leftist organizer Kim Kelly explained in Vice the reason behind milkshaking saying:
Milkshaking’s power lies in the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. Someone’s thrown a milkshake at you! A milkshake! That’s silly as hell! As a direct action – an instance in which political activists or regular-ass people who are fed up with the state of things takes matters into their own hands, through either violent or nonviolent means – milkshaking is both effective and sophisticated, robbing its target of any dignity while emphasizing the illegitimacy of their noxious views. No one’s getting injured.
Responses From Fast-Food Chains
Milkshaking has become so popular that McDonald’s was asked not to sell them during Farage’s rally in Edinburgh. There’s no doubt that Farage himself was behind this request. Burger King hilariously responded with a tweet that said:
Dear people of Scotland. We’re selling milkshakes all weekend. Have fun. Love BK. #justsaying
Obviously, this received some backlash as people accused the fast-food chain of promoting violence. While being covered in a milkshake is annoying and probably quite sticky, it’s hardly violent. However, Burger King felt they needed to address what was being said and clarified their original tweet by saying:
We’d never endorse violence – or wasting our delicious milkshakes! So enjoy the weekend and pease drink responsibly people.
Perhaps it’s about time we bring milkshaking to the United States, starting with the geniuses who voted for the abortion ban bills.
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