British Police want to speak to a MAGA influencer and partner after London incident

By Kara Fox, CNN

London (CNN) — British police published an appeal for information indicating that they want to speak to two people following what police called a “racially aggravated” incident in central London.

The British Transport Police on Monday released a photograph of individuals they are seeking to question regarding the incident. CNN has identified the couple in the photo as MAGA influencer Melissa Rein Lively and her financier partner Philipp Ostermann.

Police did not say whether they believed the couple was involved in the incident.

Police said the incident took place at 7.30pm local time on October 11 at Bond Street Tube station, in the heart of London’s shopping district.

In the statement, police said a woman was racially abused and assaulted as she was entering a train station with her family.

“The victim was entering Bond Street Underground station with her sister and two young children, one of whom was in a pushchair. A man and women were walking together in front of them when the woman collided with the pushchair,” police said.

“The man then began shouting racial abuse at the victim and her family, before the woman grabbed her hair. When the victim tried to defend herself the man pulled out a small bottle and said it was pepper spray before spraying it in the direction of the victim and her family. The woman shouted abuse and made lewd gestures at them before both parties left the area,” police said.

The use of pepper spray is illegal in the UK.

“Officers believe the man and woman in the image could have information that may assist their enquiries,” police said.

Rein Lively is a Trump-supporting influencer and the head of America First PR, an Arizona-based company Lively has described as “anti-woke,” and Ostermann, a German businessman working in private equity.

CNN reached out to Rein Lively and Ostermann. Rein Lively did not address CNN’s question for comment in her response but sent an unrelated press release. Ostermann did not respond.

Rein Lively’s account on X is temporarily disabled. Her company’s website details a plan to launch a transatlantic “sister agency,” in “alignment with our mission to protect and advance shared Western values called “Europe First PR.”

Rein Lively is a known figure in conservative circles and campaigned for the White House Press Secretary role last year, posting images of herself at US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club – the epicenter of his presidential transition – and speaking on right-wing news outlets about her bid for the job.

But she is also known for an incident inside a Scottsdale, Arizona Target store during the height of the Covid 19-pandemic.

In July 2020 a video of her destroying a mask display at the retailer went viral, leading to online commentators dubbing her “QAnon Karen.”

Rein Lively, a former QAnon follower, gave subsequent interviews denouncing her behavior and involvement with the group she later called a “cult.”

Ostermann, an Associate Director at a Munich-based private equity firm, was scheduled to speak at a private equity conference in London on October 14 . He is no longer listed on the online schedule.

His bio is no longer on his company’s website, and his LinkedIn account has been deleted.

The-CNN-Wire
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