Rand Paul says his 'life was in danger' and calls BLM activists a 'crazed mob' after being jostled outside RNC

Republican senator responds to crowds who heckled him over Breonna Taylor

US senator Rand Paul has said that a group of more than 100 people who confronted him as he left Donald Trump’s acceptance speech to the Republican Convention were an “angry mob” who threatened his life.

“Just got attacked by an angry mob of over 100, one block away from the White House, the Kentucky senator wrote on Twitter on Friday.

Thanking the Washington DC police department for their assistance, he added that officers had were “literally saving our lives from a crazed mob.”

According to the Associated Press, the crowd that enveloped Mr Paul and his wife on Thursday night had yelling for him to say the name of police shooting victim Breonna Taylor, a black woman who was killed in his state.

Some were heard chanting ”Breonna Taylor” and “no justice, no peace!”, but in contrast to the senator’s comments, there appeared to be little violence.

Another yelled ”Say Her Name” before a protester appeared to clash with an officer, who was pushed backwards, sending him into Mr Paul’s shoulder.

Video posted to social media showed officers escorting the senator and his wife to their hotel at a walking pace as protesters continued to heckle.

It comes amid a week of renewed anger over the police-shooting of a black man, Jacob Blake, in Wisconsin, which has intensified months of unrest over racial injustice in the US.

However protests in Washington DC on Thursday night were significantly smaller than the crowds that took to the streets following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody in May.

A robust police presence outside the Republican convention event at the White House monitored the situation.