The audiene is asked how many of them have been banned from Facebook, and there is an instant show of hands — more than fifty. (Facebook has been accused of bias towards conservatives — and of banning them for unjust reasons.)

"Fantastic," says Milo, before encouraging his fans to rebel against the establishment and take every opportunity to mock or ridicule their "oppressors." He is wearing some kind of absurd seraphic toga.

I've no idea why these people were banned from Facebook, or even if it's true, but it highlights how far these young people are from traditional conservatives. Attacks on freedom of speech have fuelled a strong sense of rebellion. If this were the 80s it could be a British punk concert. These conservatives no longer wish to conserve; they wish to burn.

The other speakers — Sophie Thomas, who discussed free speech on campus and the no platforming of speakers such as Julie Bindel, and Potkin Azarmehr, an Iranian activist who spoke about the dangers of political Islam and the need for vigilance — were decent enough. We'd all heard it before. As one well-dressed young gentleman put it, "I'm here to see Milo."

"Are you a big fan then?"

He smiled at that. "No, but I agree with a few things. I mostly came here with an open mind, you know." Pretty clear then, who was the big draw. If you are unfamiliar with Mr Yiannopoulos, he is a contrarian British journalist (a columnist at Breitbart) who has become notorious for his anti-feminism, provocative language, over-the-top mannerisms and willingness to debate opponents on any platform. Now a celebrity in America, his style is that of a stand-up comedian: everything is exaggerated and obnoxious. And yet he so infuriates the modern Left that it's easy to see why he has fans.

But in truth I heard nothing outrageous being said, even from Milo. There was plenty of patriotism: "The values which will serve you best — which Americans don't have — are British values, and they are conviction, bravery, camaraderie, critical thinking — and pride." Massive cheers to that, and similarly to Sophie Thomas arguing against intellectual uniformity in education. Not to say there weren't unsavoury opinions, such as odious Trumpism and uncritical hand-wringing over the evils of feminism, but it never felt like dogma. There was plenty of disagreement. Everyone I spoke to was open-minded. This was a collection of young people passionate about politics, who feel unable to express themselves in our halls of learning. That we have allowed this to occur is astonishing.

Ultimately, this was all pantomime. But as it ended I couldn't help but wonder if, just like geek culture, being a young conservative was starting to become cool. There are far more young people out there who I'd suspect would privately agree with many of the things said at this launch. Many of them avoid politics like the plague, but as the hard Left invades people's lives, and pushes harder in universities, those people may well end up in the arms of Milo, or joining their local YBHS chapter. Time will tell.