Nigel Farage pranked mid‑speech with Putin banner at election rally

Controversial British politician Nigel Farage was the victim of a prank by activists during his speech at an election rally. A banner featuring Vladimir Putin unexpectedly appeared on stage.

Nigel Farage regularly makes headlines with his contentious statements. This time, the British politician, often referred to as "the godfather of Brexit," was targeted in a high-profile prank.

Activists from the group "Led By Donkeys" aimed to address Farage's comments in which he praised the Russian leader. In an interview with the BBC, Farage claimed that the West and NATO had "provoked" the Russian invasion.

In a video posted on social media, a banner featuring a picture of Vladimir Putin slowly descends from the ceiling. The Russian leader is giving a thumbs-up, and the banner reads, "I love Nigel."

We just dropped in on Farage’s election rally with a beaming picture of Putin. Nigel was not pleased – reads a post from the group "Led by Donkeys" on platform X.

The incident took place on Saturday, 29 June. The leader of Reform UK was speaking in the small seaside town of Walton-on-the-Naze, about 60 miles from London.

When Farage finally noticed the banner, he asked the audience: "Who put that up there? Someone at the Columbine Centre needs to get the sack." His supporters were incensed and demanded that the image of Putin be destroyed. Two men attempted to take down the banner but were unsuccessful. The video cuts off at this point.

Nigel Farage is currently leading an election campaign. Parliamentary elections will be held in the United Kingdom on 4 July. His party, Reform UK, has enjoyed recent poll support ranging from 15% to 20%. However, due to the electoral system in the House of Commons, the party is expected to secure at most a few seats.