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A student caught up in the centre of the scuffle at a speech by Jacob Rees-Mogg has come forward to claim that the violence broke out after she was hit in the face by a Tory supporter.

Footage emerged on Friday night showing what appeared to be protesters wearing hoodies and balaclavas storming a university politics event where Rees-Mogg was speaking.

A tussle broke out between the protesters and members of the audience, before the Tory MP stepped in to try and calm the situation down.

The protesters who interrupted the debate have since been condemned by MPs from across the political spectrum over the "violent" confrontation.

But one of the students involved in the scuffle at Bristol’s University of West England (UWE), Andeea Dumitrache, has now claimed on Twitter that she was among the group and that the violence started when she was “punched”.

Sharing a video of the event, she wrote on Twitter: “The member of the audience in the white shirt started getting violent towards the people being disruptive.

“I was standing in front of him when he punched me. No student was violent here. He was clearly a supporter but it didn't look like it was someone from Mogg's team.

“He was seated in the middle of the room and he was taken by campus security for interview.”

According to one witness Mr Rees-Mogg was "pushed and shoved" in the tussle broke and police have confirmed they are now probing the incident.

Mr Rees-Mogg said he chose to engage with the protesters when they gate-crashed the event because he "knew they weren't going to hit me".

"There were three hundred people here who wanted to engage in a serious debate and discussion, there were four or five people who wanted to shout - but they only wanted to shout," he told the BBC.

"They weren't physically threatening. A little bit of shouting doesn't do anybody any harm... I take a very relaxed view of it."

A string of Labour MPs have denounced the violence.

Universities Minister Sam Gyimah branded the protesters' behaviour "thuggish" and shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said she "utterly" condemned the "behaviour of those tonight who tried to attack (Mr Rees-Mogg) whilst he was due to speak at an event he was invited to".

Brendan Cox, whose wife Jo, Labour MP for Batley and Spen, was murdered by a right-wing extremist in 2016, said the incident was "absolutely disgraceful", adding: "Those who try & deny elected representatives the chance to speak attack democracy itself."

UWE Bristol said it was "absolutely appalled" by the group's actions.

The MP said he did not feel in danger, adding: "If I felt threatened I wouldn't have gone up to talk to them. … They disagree with me, they disapprove of everything I stand for, but they are good, honest British citizens. They weren't going to hit me."

He told the Daily Telegraph the protesters shouted "no platform for Tory scum and other insults", although he chose to engage with the group "to stop anyone being hit because the whole thing would have degenerated".

​UWE Bristol said it was believed a small group of protesters, who were not students at the university and did not have tickets to the event, broke into the lecture theatre through the back doors, before police and security were called.

Mr Rees-Mogg went ahead with his speech and was escorted back to his car after the event finished, a university spokesman said.

"We support the democratic right of free speech and peaceful protest. However, we strongly condemn the actions of protesters who disrupted normal debate and behaved in this way," the university said.

Avon and Somerset Police appealed for anyone to come forward with mobile phone footage to help the inquiry.

The force said in a statement: "We were called to the University of the West of England's Frenchay campus at about 6.30pm today following a report of a public order incident.

"No arrests were made and an investigation is under way to see if any criminal offences were committed."