Kilted piper pushed by police at Cenotaph is former Ukip candidate who ‘planned’ flashpoint

A kilted piper shoved over by a police officer at the Cenotaph is an anti-lockdown activist and a former Ukip candidate.

In a viral video filmed in London on Remembrance Sunday bagpiper Ben Buckland – who was wearing a Glengarry and full Highland garb – falls to the ground after he is pushed by an officer for getting too close to a police barricade.

The police line was holding veterans back in a stand-off on Sunday but the Record can reveal that the whole episode – which was filmed on camera phones – was planned by the veteran in order to trigger a reaction from the police.

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In a video, Buckland said: “Sometimes you have to create to get what you want…”

Footage originally showed Buckland falling to the ground, sparking fury from a crowd.

Buckland – who says he served in the Scots Guards – was later led away in handcuffs.

But in a video which emerged later, he admits planning the whole stunt to provoke a reaction.

Buckland said: “In my training, if you want to get what you want and if you want things to happen, sometimes you have to sometimes create to get what you want.

“Do you honestly think that I give a f**k about being thrown over? It’s all in the movement.

“All I was doing was turning. It only takes a few inches to be closer to them to make them react and to be feart [afraid], that’s a Scots word.

“So when you do that and you get… and then they react. Unfortunately, we had to do it that way.

“That’s how we managed to succeed to get here, because they weren’t going to let us down.”

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In February, Buckland was photographed leading Brexiteers in high spirits from the European parliament building in Brussels.

Close behind him were MEPs including Ann Widdecombe, June Mummery and Brian Monteith, who had also opted for a Scottish theme, sporting a kilt and tartan tie.

Sunday’s commemorations were impacted by the spread of Covid-19 and UK lockdown – meaning crowds had to avoid the area and stay at home.

Officers formed a wall around the perimeter of the Cenotaph to ensure the new rules were followed.

In the footage, bagpiper Buckland is seen and heard playing while marching past the officers as a man yells: “Let the veterans through.”

He then tries to walk through the police line before being stopped by cops and pushed away by the cops.

The crowd can be heard yelling at the officers, with one man shouting “what the f**k?”. The incident sparked dramatic scenes.

Buckland stands back up and also aggressively gestures at the officers before having to be physically held back.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Police are aware of a video circulating online which shows an officer using force after a man had tried to enter a restricted area in Whitehall SW1. The actions of the officer will be looked at in the wider context of this incident.

“The man had previously been asked to wait while the restricted area was opened up and he would be able to attend the Cenotaph.

“The road had been closed off as the Remembrance Sunday event this year was a closed ceremony due to Covid restrictions.

“A man has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.”

It’s not clear why Buckland staged the fall.

Video taken before his arrest shows Buckland blasting “the police state that we have now” and launching into an anti-lockdown rant.