A woman was arrested on Saturday after allegedly throwing a drink at Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) during the Trump ally’s “Won’t Back Down” town hall in Pensacola, Florida, according to a report.
The incident occurred as Gaetz was exiting Brew Ha Ha restaurant. Amanda Kondrat’yev, who once launched a longshot bid for the Florida Republican’s congressional seat, allegedly tossed a drink at his chest. She was taken into police custody with no further incident and was later released on a $1,000 bond.
Progressive political activist Jordan Uhl described the beverage as a milkshake, though it is unclear what type of drink it was.
Gaetz responded to the incident in a tweet, writing: “Clearly it takes more than a drink to slow down our great team. We are always thankful to the brave law enforcement officials who keep everyone safe at our events.”
https://twitter.com/mattgaetz/status/1134958731530256384
According to the Pensacola News Journal, Kondrat’yev filed a lawsuit against Pensacola in a bid to have the city remove a Bayview Park cross. The newspaper reports the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center and the Freedom From Religion Foundation sued the city on behalf of Kondra’yev and several other Pensacola residents.
Gaetz offered to debate Kondrat’yev about the cross — an offer she accepted, but the planned face-off fell through.
The incident comes after a wave of “milkshake” assaults on pro-Brexit candidates, including Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, during the E.U. elections in Britain.