Riley Gaines ‘ambushed by trans activists who physically attacked her’

College swimming champion Riley Gaines has filmed herself being ambushed by screaming trans activists and was allegedly hit ‘multiple times by a guy in a dress’ following a speech about saving women’s sports.

A terrified Gaines, 23, was forced to barricade herself inside a room for around three hours at the San Francisco State University campus last night after a group of activists ambushed her.

Gaines’ husband, Louis Barker, said he had brief conversations with his wife while she was locked in the room for nearly three hours. 

‘She told me she was hit multiple times by a guy in a dress. I was shaking. It made me that mad. It makes me sick to feel so helpless about it,’ Barker said. ‘She was under police protection and was still hit by a man wearing a dress.’

‘The prisoners are running the asylum at SFSU…I was ambushed and physically hit twice by a man,’ Gaines wrote in the tweet. 

‘This is proof that women need sex-protected spaces. Still only further assures me I’m doing something right. When they want you silent, speak louder.’ 

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy condemned the incident as ‘an appalling attack on free speech on a college campus’.

He tweeted: ‘House Republicans stand with Riley Gaines and her brave and tireless efforts to protect women’s sports.’  

While she spoke to students, Gaines’ comments elicited backlash in the form of hysterical cries which drowned out her speech.

‘Tonight, Riley Gaines spoke at San Francisco State University to share her personal story of competing against a biological male athlete, Lia Thomas, at the Women’s NCAA Swimming Championships last year,’ Eli Bremer, Gaines’ agent, said to Fox News Digital in a lengthy statement.

‘In the past year, her goal in speaking at universities has been to educate her peers about her experience and what the impact of the growing number of biological males in women’s sports will do to the integrity of Title IX. She has been questioned in civil and somewhat uncivil manners about her views many times, and she thoroughly encourages diverse viewpoints and debate on this issue.

‘Instead of a thoughtful discussion tonight at SFSU, Riley was violently accosted, shouted at, physically assaulted, and barricaded in a room by protestors. It is stunning that in America in 2023, it is acceptable for biological male students to violently assault a woman for standing up for women’s rights.

‘This will not stop Riley from boldly educating people of the dangers of biological males in women’s sports. She will continue to speak the truth against the radical left that no longer understands the difference between men and women.’

Around 100 protesters mobbed the campus to oppose the swimmer’s appearance on Thursday evening, according to the university’s student-run newspaper, Golden Gate Xpress.

Footage showed trans activists arriving at the event at 6.43pm. Most were barred from entering and instead crowded the hallway outside the room where Gaines was speaking.  

Those inside were able to hear the protestors screaming slogans and stamping their feet, drowning out what Gaines was saying.

One protestor appeared to have been allowed into the talk and was seen arguing with other attendees and interrupting the swimmer. 

Gaines reportedly tried to quell tensions, saying: ‘I’m here to ensure that everyone has their fair space to fell comfortable.’

The chaos peaked to the point where Gaines had to be escorted out of the room and down a hallway by police, then subsequently barricaded in another room. 

As she was being moved to a safer location, protestors were captured chanting ‘go the f**k home’ and ‘trans women are women’ as they placed transgender flags along walls. 

Some images were shared by Golden Gate which showed members of the TPUSA staff being held up and escorted out of the venue during protests. 

Assistant Dean of Students, Chris Trudell, was seen attending to the situation and trying to de-escalate tensions and asking protestors to ‘keep things peaceful’. 

The event finished at 8.26pm and seven police cars were seen outside the venue at 9.10pm.

Gaines remained barricaded in her room until she was eventually seen leaving campus at 11.38pm.

Washington DC-based campaign group the Independent Women’s Forum, for whom Gaines is a spokeswoman tweeted: ‘We strongly condemn the violence perpetrated against @iwf spokeswoman @Riley_Gaines_ on @SFSU campus. Riley was violently accosted, ambushed, and physically assaulted during a speech on sex discrimination women face in their own single-sex sports category.’

Gaines also received support from British activist and founder of group Standing for Women Kellie-Jay Keen, who shared footage of the protests with the comment: ‘The adults have left the building.’

Gaines responded on Twitter, saying: ‘In this moment, I really thought of you! I was able to square my shoulders and gave them knowing you could do the same so bravely. Keep fighting.’ 

In a statement to Fox, a TPUSA spokesperson said the counter-protest to Gaines’ speech was ‘organized by SFSU’s Queer and Trans Resource Center’.

The spokesperson said the rowdy protesters outside the room ‘rushed in when the event was over’.

Gaines, a 12-time All-American swimmer, became a national figure after she publicly objected to trans swimmer Lia Thomas’ participation in women’s sports.

Many athletes, such as Nancy Hogshead-Makar, have warned that biological males have a clear advantage over biological women when they compete.

The San Francisco Police Department and SFSU did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment on the situation.