Ricky Frazer Southall

Location: Manchester/Huddersfield 

Affiliations: Anonymous for the Voiceless (AV), Palestine Action 

Rent-an-activist Ricky Frazer Southall seems to love nothing more than hopping on a bandwagon, including sabbing legal trail hunts. He’s also been charged with burglary and criminal damage after protesting for Palestine Action, an organisation that has been branded “extreme” by an upcoming government report.  

Southall’s own photo of him sabbing a hunt.

Protests and arrests 

In May 2024, Southall was charged with “burglary other than dwelling with intent to commit damage, criminal damage to property value over £5,000 and having an article with intent to destroy/damage property” following a protest by Palestine Action at technology company Teledyne’s premises in Shipley. 

He was one of four protesters who occupied the roof of Teledyne’s factory, and was pictured brandishing a sledgehammer.  

The protest group Palestine Action has long come under fire for its often violent and destructive methods. On 6 August, two police officers were assaulted with a sledgehammer at a Palestine Action protest in Bristol. One of the officers had to be taken to hospital.  

Six people were arrested on suspicion of various offences including wounding with intent, aggravated burglary, and criminal damage. Police seized multiple weapons, including sledgehammers, axes and whips.  

Southall (second from left) on the roof of Teledyne’s premises in Shipley brandishing a sledgehammer

Lord Walney, the previous Government’s independent adviser on political violence and disruption, has described members of Palestine Action as “pernicious militants”.  

BTM suspects this may be the same Ricky Southall who was arrested and charged with intentionally/recklessly causing a public nuisance after taking part in protests to disrupt the Grand National in 2023. The protest, organised by animal rights group Animal Rising, delayed the start of the horse race by 15 minutes.   

This Ricky Southall will appear at Sefton Magistrate’s Court in August alongside fellow sab Bernadete Green.  

Problematic groups 

Palestine Action is not the only controversial protest group Southall is associated with. He has been photographed campaigning for the animal rights organisation Anonymous for the Voiceless (AV) in Leeds City Centre.   

AV has been heavily criticised by other animal rights activists and vegans who have accused the organisation of racism and ableism.  

AV came under fire for its ableism after it rejected the use of service animals in social media posts that stated “service dogs and the like are still a WANT and not a need”. 

Understandably, the comment section was full of horrified individuals. One person wrote AV was “asking disabled people to give up [their] access, safety, health, and lives” while another argued that service dogs allow people with disabilities “to lead a more normal life and to overcome challenges”.   

Clowning around 

When he’s not being arrested or campaigning for problematic organisations, Southall likes to indulge in a bit of clowning. Literally. He is a member of a Facebook group called ‘ClownTown (Formally Sexy Clown Girl Honk Heaven)’ [sic].  

For those not familiar, the page describes itself as “a place where people can see and post sexy, clown girl pix! (We don't gender check. So, if Sexy Clown Girl is one of your pronouns and you're an adult, go ahead and post!) Clowns of all genders are welcome, Check us out and show us your favorite sexy clown girl pix! Honk! Honk! ;)” 

It seems Southall was at one point thinking of combining two of his hobbies, clowning and fire-breathing, to set up an account on the adult entertainment website Only Fans.  

Now, at Behind The Masks we believe everyone has the right to pursue and freely enjoy their own hobbies and passions, so long as they fall within the law. Whether anyone should be taking lessons in morality from a clown and pyromania fetishist, however, is another question. 

Southall fire breathing