You'd have had to be living under a rock for the last few weeks if you haven't heard the term "milkshaking"
And it seems that the recent "trend" has taken over from the more "traditional" political protest of throwing an egg, flour or paint at a politician.
The term 'milkshaking' is being used to describe a protest that involves throwing a milkshake at a politician. Such is the threat from the protest that some establishments have stopped selling ice cream and milkshake before political demos.
The McDonald's next to the Farage demo. Someone clearly got wind. pic.twitter.com/kHETQ66TOq
— Scott Macdonald (@scott_eff) May 17, 2019
Tommy Robinson has been hit a number of times (twice in one day) with a milkshake, Carl Benjamin was also on the receiving end of the latest trend while campaigning, and yesterday, Nigel Farage was the latest to be targeted with a £5.25 Five Guys banana and salted caramel milkshake in Newcastle.
READ MORE: Nigel Farage hit by milkshake during campaign walkabout
Throwing perishables has long been a tradition of the political protest. John Prescott was infamously egged in 2001 with the then deputy Prime Minister lashing out. This was not Prescott's first experience of having something thrown at him in protest. He also had a bucket of ice water thrown over him in 1998 at the Brit Awards by Chumbawamba (remember them?)
Jim Murphy was pelted with eggs in Kirkcaldy after campaigning during the Scottish independence referendum, and BNP leader Nick Griffin was also targeted. Ed Miliband was also hit with an egg during campaigning in South London. Then-education secretary Ruth Kelly was also hit with an egg in 2006 by Fathers for Justice campaigners.
READ MORE: Jim Murphy egg incident: man, 45, arrested and due in court
But despite its popularity over the years, it has not always been the egg that has been used as a political protest. Milkshake joins a list of niche food types that have been thrown at politicians in recent years.
put this on a flag, it is now the symbol of the anti-fascist movement. pic.twitter.com/hZgzAJCGSF
— Richard Hall (@_RichardHall) May 20, 2019
In February 2000, Agriculture Minister Nick Brown was hit with a chocolate eclair at the National Farmers' Union conference. In 2004, Tony Blair was pelted with flour bombs in the Commons by campaign group Fathers for Justice, and in 2009, Lord Mandelson had a cup of green custard thrown in his face. Jeffrey Archer was the victim of a protestor throwing porridge at him during a charity function and in 2008, Phil Woolas, the then Immigration Minister was pied at Manchester University, with a protestor shoving a custard pie in his face.
However, while egging will no doubt return (as it has throughout UK political protest history) it appears that milkshakes have become the latest symbol of resistance in the UK.
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