Marjorie Taylor Greene Furious Over Riley Gaines Attack by Trans Activists

Marjorie Taylor Greene reacted with fury after an event featuring Riley Gaines was stormed by trans rights protesters on Thursday evening at San Francisco State University, with the former college swimmer claiming she was "hit multiple times."

Responding to the incident on Twitter, the House Republican claimed Gaines had been attacked by "transgender terrorists," adding, "ARREST ALL OF THEM!"

The role of transgender athletes in women's sports has become a hot political issue across the United States, with Republican legislatures imposing restrictions on their participation in 20 states across the country. Critics claim transgender athletes have an inherent advantage in women's sports, making their participation unfair, whilst supporters argue it is important to respect their self-declared identity.

Gaines had been at a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event when protestors gained access to the venue. Describing what took place on Tucker Carlson's Fox News show, she said: "All of a sudden after my speech the room was stormed, the lights were turned off and I was rushed with nobody there to escort me to a safe place.

"I was punched, I was hit multiple times I was shoved, until finally, we exited the room. But we could not leave because the protesters flooded the halls, so I was pushed into a classroom where I was barricaded in for three hours."

Greene shared a video of the events on Twitter, showing Gaines being escorted to safety by police whilst protesters chanted abuse.

She wrote: "This is terrorism, kidnapping, and extortion. ARREST ALL OF THEM! The trans movement is out of control and a danger to children and our society.

"Transgender terrorists attacked Riley Gaines causing her to lock herself into a room for fear of her life... Riley IS a real woman and athlete and deserves respect, privacy in women's spaces, and the right to compete in her sport against biological women only."

Speaking to Newsweek, a spokesperson from the University Police Department (UPD), at San Francisco State University, said: "We are conducting an ongoing investigation into the situation. There were no arrests related to the event.

"The disruption occurred after the conclusion of the event which made it necessary for UPD officers to move the event speaker from the room to a different, safe location."

PEN America, a New York City-based non-profit that campaigns for free speech, condemned the demonstrators who shut down Gaines' event.

In a statement sent to Newsweek, Kristen Shahverdian, the group's senior manager in free expression and education, said: "Physical intimidation or violence is never an acceptable response to speech, no matter how hateful or controversial that speech may be.

"No invited speaker should ever have to fear for their safety on campus, before, during, or after their speech. Based on video evidence of the incident, the protesters' actions went far beyond any standard of acceptable protest, and crossed into, at a minimum, physical intimidation of Gaines, and perhaps actual violence."

Gaines first received political attention after racing against transgender athlete Lia Thomas, who became the first trans woman to win the NCAA Division I women's 500-yard freestyle competition in 2022.

Appearing on Fox News, Gaines claimed Thomas had "an utter disregard and disrespect towards women, women who have dedicated their entire lives to their sport."

During an interview with ESPN in May 2022 Thomas insisted trans athletes aren't a threat to women's sports. Thomas commented: "The NCAA rules regarding trans women competing in women's sports have been around for 10-plus years. And we haven't seen any massive wave of trans women dominating."

Riley Gaines and Turning Point USA have been approached for comment by email.