Hero security guard insists ‘I was just doing my job’ after footage of Fendi store he was protecting from anti-fur protesters prompts calls for a pay rise

“I was just doing my job,” a heroic security guard insisted after footage of him defending a Fendi store in London from anti-fur protesters sparked calls for a pay rise.

Protesters from the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) tried to storm the designer store on New Bond Street earlier this week, but the man held them at bay and grappled with them as they tried to pull open the door.

When the Daily Mail visited the store today, the security guard, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘I was just doing my job, those people were crazy and I kicked them out.’

A viral video of the chaos shared on social media showed blue-green haired protesters chanting ‘blood, blood, blood on their hands’ through a megaphone as a security guard tried to stop them from entering the store.

The security guard, dressed in a smart suit, pulled open the glass door and began fighting with protesters trying to get in.

Despite all the negativities, he prevented attempts to enter.

The video then shows five high-visibility men arriving in support and then rudely dragging a green-haired protester out of the store by trapping him in fishing nets.

The crowd continues chanting: ‘Shame on you, shame on you, shame on you, shame on you for what you’ve done.’

A support team of men wearing high-vis vests arrived, who came to the security guard’s aid and were able to drag a green-haired protester out.

The netted protester was forcibly removed from the Fendi store by private security guards and rudely thrown onto the pavement.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, two private security guards said they were in the shop that day and helped disperse the protesters.

They patrol the whole of Oxford Circus and said stunts like this ‘happen all the time’ and have gotten worse in recent years.

‘Almost a season left,’ someone said.

‘There’s a season when we’re really busy and a season where we’re quiet. So it depends on the situation. It goes up and down. summer probably [worse].’

The other private security guard said: ‘They had to leave the shop. Private property. ‘We asked them to leave, and if they don’t we will graciously accompany them.’

Towards the end of the video, demonstrators move towards the Louis Vuitton store 150 meters down the road; there a protester stands outside and holds a sign that says ‘Louis Vuitton, they have blood on their hands’ written in fake blood.

Commenters on social media rallied behind the suit-clad security guard who held the line before support arrived for Fendi.

Someone wrote: ‘Lots of Men Shooting uncle WAS WORKING’.

Another added: ‘Good to see a security guard actually providing security.’

A third said: ‘This poor guy is probably working on minimum wage and on a zero-hours contract and you’re tearing him down.’

Others were quick to compare his energetic defense to that of the police, with one saying: ‘The security guard is doing more than the police would.’

Another joked: ‘Make the security guard chief of the Met.’

One commenter told X: ‘LOTS OF GUYS HOT GUYS Uncle Al WAS WORKING’

Commenters on social media slammed the protesters, with one writing: ‘I don’t think they actually care what the cause is, as long as it’s something vaguely left-wing and they like feeling like an ‘edgy’ protester.

Protesters outside the Fendi store used megaphones to ensure their message was heard and chanted ‘Blood, blood, blood on your hands’ at the Louis Vuitton store.

At one point, a scuffle broke out between a uniformed security guard and several protesters who tried to hold the door open.

While many sided with the guard, just as many targeted anti-fur protesters and harshly criticized their demonstrations.

One sneered: ‘I don’t think they really care what the reason is, as long as it’s vaguely left-wing and they like feeling like an ‘edgy’ protester.’

Another said: ‘They’re not very bright, are they? You can’t stop a production line by attacking the sellers of the final product.

‘You have to go to the source, the factories and warehouses where the animals are raised and slaughtered for their fur. ‘Stop production and release the furries.’

There were similar scenes when anti-fur activists attacked the same Louis Vuitton store earlier this year, but this time videos on social media showed security being overwhelmed by a larger group who managed to gain entry to the luxury store.

Suzie Stork, chief executive of protest group CAFT, told the Daily Mail that the protests only turned violent after staff began manhandling activists.

In a statement he said: ‘The only violence witnessed was that of Fendi staff towards activists. It is common practice to enter stores with banners to convey a peaceful message, and protesters leave when asked. This is not “the storm”.

‘In this incident, the doors were held open because they feared for the safety of the protesters inside as security personnel attempted to trap them inside.

‘We are advocating for a fur ban and are working with local groups running these campaigns. To date, our network has persuaded 24 companies to abandon fur.

‘If Fendi wants public sympathy, the cruel practice of skinning animals for luxury fashion must end.

‘We currently have a campaign against Milan Fashion Week, which, unlike London and New York, has refused to adopt a fur-free policy.

‘Fendi is on the board of Milan Fashion Week and is likely hindering progress as it remains one of the few brands that still uses fur extensively.

‘There will continue to be protests.’

The Daily Mail has contacted Fendi and Louis Vuitton for comment.