A British Model Punched a Protester During Paris Fashion Week

She's not ashamed of it either.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Every now and again, protesters try to interrupt runway shows, and often, models just walk past them and wait for security to take over. That was not the case at the Nina Ricci show at Paris Fashion Week this past Tuesday, though. British model Hollie-May Saker actually punched a protester, from the feminist group Femen, who "ruined" her walk. 

And someone has uploaded video footage of the incident, which you can watch here

The two topless women crashed the show as Saker made her way down the catwalk. Both had feminist slogans written in black marker across their chests—one read "Model don't go to brothel", the other "Fashion Dictaterror." Saker told the Liverpool Echo that she heard screaming, and that one of them grabbed her arm and lifted her skirt. 

“The next thing I just see half-naked women with black marker pen scrawled across their bare chests and that’s when she came at me….As she grabbed my arm she lifted my skirt exposing me – I pulled my arm back with such force that I landed a punch square on her nose,” she said. 

“I was so angry but I knew I had to be professional so I carried on walking with a bit of sassiness. My Scouseness [Liverpool background] came out a bit but I wish it had come out a bit more. Thinking about it now I wish I’d pushed them both off the stage because they ruined my favourite show.”

The 18-year-old model, who some believe could become the next Kate Moss, has been very vocal about the event, both in interviews and on Twitter. Following the incident, Saker tweeted: "'FEEEEEEUUUUMIN. THAT B**** RUINED AND HAD HER SAGGY T*** IN MY FACE."

That was followed by a few other tweets, including "As If some naked protestor woman just ran on the catwalk at Nina Ricci and grabbed my arm.. If you're reading this crazy naked lady…" and "I knew the Scouser in me was bound to come out eventually during fashion week", both of which seem to have been deleted since they went live on Sept. 26. 

The tweets have continued in the last few days, though.

She even thanked model Jourdan Dunn, who called her a "legend", for being "on her side."

FEMEN has spoken out about the protest. Yesterday, the group posted a statement on its Facebook page, saying the "sextremists stormed the runway of a Nina Ricci show during the Fashion week in Paris, to condemn the anti human industry of fashion..." 

"This way FEMEN protest against exploitative fashion industry with its beauty standards.Women sacrifice their private life and health for this dirty male business, that seeks to exploits women in every possible way. FEMEN calls for necessarily quick attack on fashion dictatorship as one of main development of sex-industry and beauty standards for women. We threat all PIMPs and fashion dictators by our bare breasts attack. We will follow you until your exploitative traditions will disappear. FEMEN will not stop until each and every woman on this planet, will wake up from the suppressors dream and will reclaim her body to proclaim her own rules about everything. We claim our body for ourselves; we reclaim our sexuality and our stolen beauty! We rebel against the exploitation of women in the fashion industry!" FEMEN said. 

[via NY Post]

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