Danyaal Mahmud had no idea far-right activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was due to be campaigning in Warrington last month.
The 23-year-old apprentice was in the North West town for an appointment when he was invited to join protestors awaiting Yaxley-Lennon’s arrival.
I was the only Asian person there. All these people from [United Against Fascism] kept hugging me and telling me I was brave to be standing with them, Mahmud later told the Observer newspaper.
Within seconds, Yaxley-Lennon who is standing to be one of the region’s members of the European Parliament – sought Mahmud out.
The first time he approached me, he asked me if I thought he was racist and I said: yeah, Mahmud explained. Then he says: do you know 80% of grooming gangs are Muslim? I go to him, ‘that’s a false statistic there, what about white paedophiles? Why are they not called Christian grooming gangs? – and then he goes off on one.
All the while, Mahmud was holding a McDonald’s vanilla milkshake he’d bought earlier. It was, he claimed, a total coincidence.
Yet, after hurling the dairy drink over Yaxley-Lennon, Mahmud unwittingly created a lasting image of the Euro elections and perhaps even political protest more generally in 2019.
The reasons why people gravitate towards food when plotting a political protest is often a matter of convenience, according to Dr Benjamin Franks, an academic in anti-political action at the University of Glasgow.
Throwing food has frequently been a sign of disrespect take the lobbing of rotten fruit at miscreants placed in the pillory or stocks, he told HuffPost UK.
In the political, and anti-political, context a variety of foodstuffs have been used, which are largely a matter of convenience.
The feminist attack on Miss World in 1970 used eggs and flour, whilst the Biotic Baking Brigade reverted to the tradition of the custard pie.
Dr Franks said that the first use of the milkshake on Yaxley-Lennon was probably a matter of convenience, but its effectiveness and symbolic power caught on.
The prevalence of the milkshake is new, he added. “This is partly because it is now a staple of fast food restaurants and thus easy to get hold off at short notice.
Second, because the alt-right used milk as symbol, for purity, whiteness and to mock the frequency of lactose intolerance in some targeted minority groups.
Third, it is highly effective. It makes the target uncomfortable and look ridiculous. The great leader reduced to the status of a slapstick stooge by a children’s drink.
Opponents of this intervention rightly point out that although comical, throwing a milkshake is a form of violence, Dr Franks added. However, it needs to be borne in mind that it is a very minor form of violence.
Since Mahmud drenched Yaxley-Lennon, the former English Defence League leader has been soaked once more, and milkshakes have also been hurled at Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage in Newcastle and Ukip candidate Carl Benjamin.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was also hit with an egg by a Brexit supporter who shouted Respect the vote as he struck him at the Muslim Welfare Centre in Finsbury Park, north London, in March.
And Tony Blair was dusted with purple flour when demonstrators threw it into the Commons chamber during Prime Minister’s Questions in 2004.
However, the sudden emergence of the milkshake has already made politicians weary.
After being soaked by the £5.25 banana and salted caramel number from high-end burger joint Five Guys this week, Farage could be heard quizzing his team about missing the threat.
How did you not spot that?, he asked as the white liquid slowly dripped off his jacket.