News

OUSA President Logan Edgar was assaulted by a member of ACT on Campus shortly before entering his prison cell, where he spent two days protesting against VSM.

The altercation began when Edgar screwed up a protest sign that a female member of the ACT group was holding, tossing it in the direction of a man who then turned violent. The man grabbed Edgar by the throat, and “pushed me up against the cage violently, then threatened to knock me out,” Edgar said.
 
Recreation Representative Sarah van Ballekom was on hand to act as Edgar’s knight in shining armour and broke up the altercation. “I was 99% sure he wasn’t going to punch a woman,” she says, “and being the PE student that I am, I put my body on the line and then politely told the guy to fuck off.”
 
Ballekom fondly described Edgar as “a helpless duckling who needs nurturing,” especially after “his mum made me promise I would look after him. When his safety was threatened I took on the protector role.” Despite this, Edgar claimed that “I was much bigger than the guy. All my bicep curls at Unipol had prepared me well for the altercation, so I wasn’t scared at all.”
 
According to van Ballekom, the ACT member “came out of nowhere, and was really fucking angry – all over a crappy sign that lacked any sort of creativity.”
 
Members of the ACT group present at the time, soothed by some hot chocolate after the incident, described the individual as having “gone rogue,” and apologised profusely for his behaviour. Edgar says he is “still waiting” for an apology from the individual concerned.
 
The event made national media, with TV3 and the Otago Daily Times both covering the incident.
 
Edgar confirmed that he had spoken to Police but had elected not to press charges over the incident.
 
Post-assault, Edgar called a friend to bring down his golf club, which he kept in the cage over the next two nights “for protection.” This may have been a wise move, as it is not the first time he has been the victim of an assault. While cycling on the Taieri in July last year, Edgar and a friend were driven off the road and abused by two women – resulting in a broken hand and stolen bike for Edgar. Critic speculates that Edgar just has one of those faces that makes people want to hit him.