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Former NCAA Division 1 swimmer Riley Gaines was barricaded in a room at San Francisco State University for nearly three hours as protesters “ambushed” her following a speaking event on campus.
Now, her agent, Eli Bremer, is calling for the university to take a stand.
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines speaks during a rally on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, outside of the NCAA Convention in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Riley Gaines shared a video to social media Thursday night showing a large group of people surrounding her after she delivered a speech on campus about women’s sports. In her tweet, Gaines said she had been “ambushed and physically hit.” She is seen in the footage being escorted out by police.
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Several videos posted to social media appeared to show the crowd shouting expletives at Gaines, while also chanting, “Trans rights are human rights,” and “Trans women are women.”
In an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital on Friday, Bremer called for the university to expel “any students who were violent,” and fire any staff member “who did not attempt to end the assault.”
“Riley Gaines, the leading defender of women’s rights in America, was physically assaulted last night at San Francisco State University (SFSU). The violent mob effectively held her hostage for three hours with no apparent action by the university to end the assault,” Bremer said.
University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas and Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines react after finishing tied for 5th in the 200 Freestyle finals at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 18th, 2022, at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta Georgia. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“Violence and threats against women are always wrong, and we demand SFSU expel any students who were violent. Furthermore, we demand that any staff who were present who did not attempt to end the assault on Riley also be fired.”
Bremer also noted that Gaines was “evaluating all legal options” as a result.
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“Additionally, Riley is in the process of securing legal counsel and is currently evaluating all legal options related to this incident. We have not ruled out any action against SFSU over this incident nor have we ruled out taking action against the individuals who assaulted Riley. Assaults against women cannot and will not be tolerated.”
Gaines’ husband, Louis Barker, told Fox News Digital that the 12-time All American collegiate athlete had been left barricaded in a room for nearly three hours and had been hit “multiple times by a guy in dress.”
The University Police Department (UPD) at San Francisco State University issued the following statement to Fox Friday morning: “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.”
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Several Republican lawmakers have spoken out against the incident, with many calling for “immediate action.”
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., conducts a news conference in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall on Thursday, January 12, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“San Francisco State University and law enforcement must take immediate action to hold those who assaulted Riley accountable,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said Friday. “We will not allow the violent radical left mob to silence us.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy deemed the incident “an appalling attack on free speech on a college campus.”
“House Republicans stand with Riley Gaines and her brave and tireless efforts to protect women’s sports,” McCarthy wrote in a tweet.
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