EXCLUSIVE'I'm not going to back down!': Councillor booed by pro-Palestine demonstrators when he condemned Hamas' horrific October 7 slaughter says he has no regrets and would do it again
- Warning: video below contains strong language
A councillor who was booed and heckled by pro-Palestine supporters when he condemned Hamas' attack on October 7 has said he has no regrets and would do it again.
The leader of the Liberal Democrats on Liverpool City Council, Carl Cashman, was speaking at a rally on April 24.
After only a few moments of speaking he was booed and forced to leave the stage by a 'small minority with disgusting views' who disagreed with his decision to criticise Hamas.
Speaking to MailOnline, Mr Cashman has slammed those demonstrators for preventing him from speaking and defianantly said: 'I'm not going to back down.'
In the footage posted to X, formerly Twitter, Mr Cashman can be seen speaking at the rally in Liverpool city centre. He said: 'While we condemn the actions of the Netanyahu government, let us also condemn the actions of Hamas on October 7.'
In the footage posted to X, formerly Twitter , Mr Cashman can be seen speaking at the rally in Liverpool city centre before he was booed and heckled by pro-Palestine supporters
Speaking to MailOnline, Mr Cashman said this was the first time he had been asked to speak at a pro-Palestine rally and how he he had hoped it was opportunity to put forward more moderate positions
Mr Cashman then has to leave the stage and he makes his way from the crowd
Before he can carry on, murmurs and booes from the crowd grow louder until the 32-year-old is unable to speak and has to stop.
A number of people watching his speech then begin to chant 'resistance is justified' - a slogan used by some pro-Palestine demonstrator as justification for the October 7 terrorist attacks which killed more than 1,100 Israeli citizens.
Mr Cashman then has to leave the stage and he makes his way from the crowd.
Speaking to MailOnline, Mr Cashman said this was the first time he had been asked to speak at a pro-Palestine rally and how he he had hoped it was opportunity to put forward more moderate positions.
He said: 'I thought it was the right thing to do and I made it clear from the start I was going to strongly condemn both sides.
'I did try to carry on my speech but after it became apparent I couldn't I decided to walk off stage. I held my head high because I knew I had said the right thing and I tried to have a positive conversation.
'What you can't see in the video is that as I walk off the stage through the crowd people were saying to me "you did the right thing" and "I would say the exact same thing".
'So the people heckling shouting "resistance is justified", which I think had a disgusting view, were a small minority.'
Despite the very public backlash he received, the councillor from Liverpool remains defiant that he would say the same again.
He said: 'I've had a lot of support online for what I was trying to say which that both sides are wrong.'
Support has also come from prominent Lib Dem politicians such as former leader Tim Farron who said he was 'very proud' of Mr Cashman and described him as 'my friend.'
Mr Cashman also berated pro-Palestine supporters from the 'hard left' who he claims 'are only interested in their own political aims'
Aerial picture of abandoned and torched vehicles at the site of the October 7 attack on the Supernova music festival. A number of people watching Mr Cashman's speech then begin to chant 'resistance is justified' - a slogan used by some pro-Palestine demonstrator as justification for the October 7 terrorist attacks which killed more than 1,100 Israeli citizens
Mr Cashman berated pro-Palestine supporters from the 'hard left' who he claims 'are only interested in their own political aims.'
The Lib Dem said: 'Some of the conversations afterwards were not pleasant. But I'm a big boy and I'm not going to back down. Some people afterwards shouted at me saying "I was wrong" and when I asked why and for their point of view they couldn't say why.
'This is the problem with the hard left is they think that is the only way to do it [protest] when we need to get everyone around the table.'
'I don't like that kind of politics. I prefer to compromise which is why I decided to speak in the first place to show my position and other opinions aside from what most people see which is dominated by the hard left who only have interest in their own political aims.'
He added: 'People behaving like they did does a massive disservice to the Palestinian people and it really solidifies the need for a moderate sensible position.'
Despite the negative reaction, Mr Cashman encourages more people to speak up.
He said: I think a lot of people don't want to get on the soap box out of fear of being attacked but I'm a Lib Dem in Liverpool I'm used to debating with people and I'm more than happy to put my head above the parapet.'
