Rhodes scholar uses Twitter to post scathing criticism of 'anti-elitist' Trenton Oldfield, who swam in front of boats
An Oxford University rower has hit out at the self-styled anti-elitist protester whose dip in the Thames forced the Boat Race to be halted and rerun, denouncing him as "a mockery of a man" who had interfered with a "proud" sporting tradition and shown no respect for the crews' "dedication and courage".
As Trenton Oldfield, a 35-year-old campaigner, was charged under section 5 of the Public Order Act for his part in what organisers said had proved "possibly the most dramatic Boat Race in history", William Zeng, the second-youngest member of the Oxford boat, posted a stinging rebuke of the swimmer's stunt on Twitter.
Hailed as "a philosopher and rower extraordinaire" by the BBC's race presenter Clare Balding, 22-year-old Zeng argued Oldfield's intervention had "made a mockery" of his fellow rowers and done little to honour his anti-elitist cause. "If you say you are a protester then no matter what you say your cause may be, your action speaks too loudly for me to hear you," wrote Zeng, an American Rhodes scholar, who is studying for a DPhil in computer science at Oriel College.
Speaking to the Guardian, the former Yale student from Great Falls, Virginia, was measured in his criticism. "It's unfortunate that this man thought that this was the way he had to express a political opinion. It's totally separate from anything he wanted to say. It's not good that it needed to come across in opposition to what we're trying to do."
Asked if he had any sympathy for Oldfield's cause, he said: "I will not and have not taken the time to peruse his writings so I don't know what they're about. I don't think we should give him a microphone. I don't think he's earned one."
Oldfield, an activist who on his blog, 'Elitism leads to Tyranny',, suggests acts of civil disobedience such as taxi drivers taking passengers on the most expensive routes and waiters in smart restaurants serve their customers cold food, mounted a robust defence of his actions yesterday, attacked the media for focusing on his apparently privileged background and insisted his act had been a legitimate form of attack on the injustices of society.
"Of course I expected the vindictive class to be vindictive and nasty about having disrupted their fun and 'months of training'," he posted on Twitter, adding: "I'm 100% behind my actions, if it's jail time, so be it." Oldfield, whose four years spentat private school and MSc in contemporary urbanism from the London School Economics had sparked criticism, from many quarters,said he had gone to the LSE on a scholarship and had worked his way through the course. He had left private school at 16, he added, "because I couldn't stand the elitism".He added: "Having been deep within elite institutions I have a very good understanding of them. I protest their injustices - ask anyone that knows me."
Oldfield was held at Chiswick police station, west London, before being released on bail on Saturday night and will appear before Feltham magistrates on 23 April.
David Searle, chief executive of the Boat Race Company, said there was little anyone could have done to prevent an individual from staging such a stunt. Race umpire John Garrett told the BBC that, while last year the possibility of swimmers had been "discussed", the threat had not been expected this year. Zeng said the crew had talked through potential disruptions but hadn't reckoned on the twin onslaught of Oldfield and a snapped oar, suffered by 29-year-old Hanno Weinhausen.
He said the crew had been in training since September, but added that "that masks the fact that for almost everyone in every boat race, every year it's the culmination of a career of rowing." He said: "Our average age was 26 and at least half the crew went in knowing that it was the last race in, for many of them, decade-long international racing careers. I'm totally unable to express anything really about what it's like to see them have to go through that."
Cambridge emerged the eventual winners of Saturday's race. The Oxford crew faced further anguish when bowman Alexander Woods was rushed to hospital after collapsing in the boat after passing the finishing line. Zeng said the 27-year-old had been discharged and was doing well.
Oldfield's stunt has sparked renewed fears of similar "lone wolf" disruptions to the London Olympics this summer. Colin Moynihan, the British Olympic Association chairman, warned on Sunday that security chiefs and police could not rule out the possibility that "one idiot" could cause major disruption to an event this summer. "It just takes, and is likely to be, one idiot," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "It's not likely to be a well-orchestrated campaign through Twitter or websites. It is likely to be someone similar to the idiot yesterday who causes major disruption. That is why all the security measures need to be put in place to minimise the chance of that happening."
The campaign group Our Olympics has said it is planning similar interventions at the Olympics and is aiming to turn the Games into the "greatest act of non-violent civil disobedience of our time". Founder Kerry-anne Mendoza was educated at the LSE but has not met Oldfield, said: "We fully support all and any non-violent acts of civil disobedience around the Olympics. Some of those will be quirky, some will be poignant, and some of those will undoubtedly be disruptive in nature. Depth, breadth, and level of disruption is what we are aiming to achieve."
'A mockery of a man'
'When I missed your head with my blade I knew only that you were a swimmer, and if you say you are a protester then no matter what you say your cause may be, your action speaks too loudly for me to hear you. I know … exactly what you were protesting. You were protesting the right of 17 young men and one woman to compete fairly and honourably, to demonstrate their hard work and desire in a proud tradition. You were protesting their right to devote years of their lives, their friendships, and their souls to the fair pursuits of the joys and the hardships of sport. You, who would make a mockery of their dedication and their courage, are a mockery of a man'
William Zeng