Rupert & James Murdoch Testimony to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee

MPs suspended their questioning of News Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch for 15 minutes after a protester lunged towards him with a shaving foam pie.

The man rushed forward from the public gallery two hours into the session and was fought off by a group of people including Mr Murdoch's wife Wendi Deng.

Jonathan May-Bowles, 26, who describes himself as an activist and comedian was charged with a public order offence.

The Speaker has asked for an investigation into the incident.

He wrote on Twitter under the account Jonny Marbles just before the incident: "It is a far better thing that I do now than I have ever done before #splat."

'Naughty billionaire'

His membership of the Labour Party was suspended on Tuesday night.

A spokesman said: "He was a member although his subscriptions were in arrears. It was despicable behaviour and he has been immediately suspended."

The session had been going for two hours when the protester reportedly shouted "you naughty billionaire" as he approached Mr Murdoch - who was being questioned in a room in Portcullis House, a building adjacent to the Houses of Parliament where many MPs have their offices.

Mr Murdoch's wife, dressed in a pink jacket and seated behind him during the session, leapt up to defend her husband and appeared to slap the assailant on his head. She also grabbed the plate used in the attack and hit the assailant with it.

The shaving foam hit Mr Murdoch's suit jacket and he later resumed the session in his shirt and tie.

The man was fought off by a group of people including Mr Murdoch's wife Wendi Deng, who was also in the public gallery.

At the end of the questioning, committee member Labour MP Tom Watson joked to Mr Murdoch: "Your wife has a very good left hook." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14209268

Shares in News Corporation have recovered ground after Rupert and James Murdoch's appearance in front of a committee of British MPs.

News Corp shares closed up 5.5% in New York and rose 5% in Sydney.

The move recovers some of the losses sustained as the phone-hacking scandal at its newspaper title, the News of the World, has unfolded. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14211424

A protester accused of throwing a paper plate of foam at Rupert Murdoch has told Sky News he did it because he wanted to see justice done. http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rupert-james-murdoch-appear-mps-133937218.html

Isakenaz wrote:

A protester accused of throwing a paper plate of foam at Rupert Murdoch has told Sky News he did it because he wanted to see justice done. http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rupert-james-murdoch-appear-mps-133937218.html

Justice? a foam pie. His actions have reduced justice to sympathy, for the sweet, frail looking man.

Isakenaz wrote:

A protester accused of throwing a paper plate of foam at Rupert Murdoch has told Sky News he did it because he wanted to see justice done. http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rupert-james-murdoch-appear-mps-133937218.html

Justice? a foam pie. His actions have reduced justice to sympathy, for the sweet, frail looking man.