Kathleen Stock lifts the lid on her whirlwind day at Oxford trends now
Prominent gender critical philosopher Kathleen Stock was bundled into a 'broom cupboard' before her address to the Oxford Union - over concerns for her safety.
Professor Stock, 50, was due to address students at the historic 200-year-old debating society on Tuesday afternoon.
Her appearance had been vehemently criticised by the university's LGBTQ+ society, who organised a march on the buildings attended by hundreds of students.
The demonstrators chanted and played loud music to try to drown out the speaker, while inside the chamber, protesters interrupted the address just a few minutes in, with one, chronic dissenter Riz Possnett, 19, glueing themselves to the floor.
The academic, who has described herself as a 'moderate, middle-aged lesbian,' arrived late to the Union after two trains were cancelled and was forced to hide out in a broom cupboard before the event.
Professor Stock, 50, was accompanied by three security guards as she made her way to the Oxford Union on Tuesday
Leaving the Oxford Union, she was asked how she felt about Prime Minister Rishi Sunak lending her support in her free speech campaign
A protester, Riz Possnett, 19, glues their hand to the floor in front of Union President Matthew Dick (left) and Professor Stock (right)
She was accompanied by three bodyguards provided by the Union, including her own bodyguard, Ash, as she made her way through the dreaming spires to the debating chamber.
The Thames Valley Police, who were patrolling the streets where the protesters would march for hours before the event began, had mounted officers at the ready, the academic was told.
According to reports in The Times, the Material Girls author calmed her nerves with a glass of red wine before the speech, which took the form of a Q&A with Union President Matthew Dick.
Professor Kathleen Stock (right) is pictured giving a talk at the Oxford Union, which was marred by protests. Activist Riz Possnett (left) appear to glue herself in front of the stage
Referring to the protesters, Stock said: 'Most people out there have not read my book or even watched a long-form interview with me. What they have done is read someone’s blog post about me'
Prof Stock said: 'The suicide discussion has been incredibly irresponsibly weaponised. It’s just not true that there’s a vast number of people who will commit suicide unless we capitulate'
A former professor at the University of Sussex, Kathleen Stock has become an influential figure in gender critical thinking and is the author of Material Girls, which explores the impact of gender activism
Guards walked the feminist to the debating society ahead of her talk
He apologetically told her that it was not the 'usual room' for speakers and answered when asked if trans activists had needed as much security, 'Er, no'.
Mr Dick, an old Etonian and history student at Magdalen College, said while he has had 'not much' uproar for the invitation to the controversial speaker, his female successor had received 'loads'.
Student press officers for the Oxford Union repeatedly refused on the day to confirm or deny whether Stock had arrived before the beginning of the event - before some were seen panicking as it became apparent she was late.
Her speech had been the focus of one of the biggest free speech rows to ever engulf the historic institution, with activists labelling her 'transphobic and trans-exclusionary' in an attempt to have the event cancelled.
19-year-old Riz Possnett, who glued herself in front of the stage, posted on Twitter: 'Trans people in the UK are stigmatised, threatened, and harassed. Life-saving gender-affirming healthcare is near impossible to access, and the process is consistently degrading'
Student activist Riz Possnett wore a T-shirt emblazoned with ‘No more dead trans kids' and appeared to glue herself to the floor in front of Prof Stock
Trans activists who attempted to disrupt Prof Stock's discussion left leaflets proclaiming 'no more dead trans kids' and another warning of 'lost lives on waiting lists'. Neither leaflet provided details of any cases
Protesters are seen outside The Oxford Union this evening
Around 200 trans rights protesters gathered at Bonn Square, in Oxford city centre - far fewer than the 500 Oxford University's LGBTQ+ society, who organised the demonstration, had hoped to attract.
The demonstrators held banners which read 'resisting by existing' and chanted 'trans rights equal
