High-profile complainant Gina Miller has cited her race and gender as a primary reason for the abuse she has received for attempts to frustrate the Brexit process.
Speaking to LBC Radio after the Supreme Court judged in favour of her complaint to recognise that the British government didn’t have the executive power to trigger Brexit without consulting parliament, Miller detailed the abuse she had received during the course of the case.
Remarking that she believed the comments directed at her were uniquely because of her gender and race, Miller told the station: “I didn’t anticipate that as an ethnic woman that I’d get the abuse that was personal to me. I do believe that if I were a white male, I wouldn’t have endured what I’ve endured.”
The campaigner had previously said that she didn’t take the insults personally and that it was “worth it” for achieving her goals.
Speaking on his own LBC show that day, former UKIP leader turned political analyst Nigel Farage said the abuse she had received was in no way exceptional and his own status as a white male had done no more to shield him from personal attacks and threats than had her identity.
Remarking that Miller’s anti-Brexit supporters could be every bit as cruel, Mr. Farage said: “…and she thought that was because she’s an ethnic person. I’m really sorry Gina Miller, but I’m a privately educated white person, and I’ve received absolutely shed-loads of abuse from many of the people who were cheering you on today.”
Speaking to LBC later on Tuesday, the campaigner said she had received rape and death threats. The Guardian reports London’s Metropolitan Police have been proactive in investigating the complaints made by Miller, and have arrested two, one of which was on Wednesday morning.
The arrested 50-year-old male was taken at a Knightsbridge address and is being held on suspicion of racially aggravated malicious communications. A further eight have been served with “cease and desist” notices by police for their communications.
Speaking of the arrests, Miller told The Guardian: “The police have been fantastic… what is amazing is that these people imagine that they can’t be tracked down and when they are they are so shocked and it stops.”
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