‘Egg Boy’ Will Connolly: who is Australia’s new folk hero?
Teenager has become a viral sensation after egging far-right senator Fraser Anning
A 17-year-old Australian boy has become an international sensation after egging a lawmaker who suggested that Muslim immigration was to blame for last week’s deadly massacre at two New Zealand mosques.
Far-right Queensland senator Fraser Anning was condemned around the world for a statement in which he referred to the 50 Muslims shot dead by a self-declared white supremacist as “followers of this savage belief” and suggested they were not “blameless”.
During a TV interview on Saturday, Anning “felt a taste of the public fury against him when [the teenager] ambushed him and cracked a raw egg over his head”, says News.com.au.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In a clip seen by millions, Anning then turns around and strikes out at his young assailant twice, before the senator’s supporters seize the boy and wrestle him to the floor.
Wellwishers quickly flooded social media with messages of support under the hashtag “#eggboy”, with some suggesting he deserved a place alongside the likes of Steve Irwin in the pantheon of legendary Australians.
He has since been identified as Will Connolly, a 17-year-old from Melbourne
Family friend Kate Forster described Connolly as “a great kid and really principled”, and praised his bravery and sense of humour.
Since shooting to viral fame, the teen has been “inundated with offers of free concert tickets from Australian bands”, as well as promises of free food and drink around the world, says the Daily Mail.
A mural has even appeared on a wall in Melbourne depicting the moment of the egging.
.In a tweet, Connolly thanked his supporters, and said that the response to his gesture had been “overwhelming”:
Police arrested Connolly at the scene, but later confirmed that he had been released without charge.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published
-
Cutting cables: the war being waged under the sea
In the Spotlight Two undersea cables were cut in the Baltic sea, sparking concern for the global network
By The Week UK Published
-
The nuclear threat: is Vladimir Putin bluffing?
Talking Point Kremlin's newest ballistic missile has some worried for Nato nations
By The Week UK Published
-
Russia vows retaliation for Ukrainian missile strikes
Speed Read Ukraine's forces have been using U.S.-supplied, long-range ATCMS missiles to hit Russia
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published