Man-handling climate change protestors

[Leafyhouse]

Anyone else watch with horror as a climate change protestor was forcefully removed by Mark Field from the Mansion House speech? I mean, I'm no fan of political activism, 'direct action' and so on, but she wasn't presenting him with any direct threat, just shouting and being annoying. AIBU to think that his behaviour was totally unacceptable there?

"posing a physical threat"

No, she was causing inconvenience and embarassment at a posh dinner

Noone seriously thought any of the demonstrators were dangerous
He wouldn't grab someone in that way if he really thought they had a knife or gun

If that MP had just let the professionals deal with it, then the demonstrators would not have got this publicity

If you broke into say a family wedding I was at or a knitting circle in a parish hall, hurled abuse at me and approached me as you were doing so, I would kick the shit out of you and worry about being sacked or sued later.

She didn't 'hurl abuse' at him and she wasn't approaching him - she was trying to walk past him. Just as she'd walked past several others who seemed quite unconcerned by her.

Some of the comments here are incredible. Anyway, Field can worry at leisure now that he's been suspended, hopefully soon to be sacked.

Pink actually comes across as an MRA troll

Does she, dear? At least she doesn’t want people shit.

Yes, Gamble66, I'm the MRA troll because I'm appalled at people defending this violence. Report me to MNHQ with your suspicions, there's a poppet.

If I personally invaded a private event full of MPs with the chancellor speaking at the top table, started shouting and attempted to reach him, honestly I'd expect to be shot.

What? Where do you live, North Korea?

"honestly I'd expect to be shot"

Even in Russia, ruled by fascist Putin, the Pussy Riot demonstrators aren't shot

"Just as she'd walked past several others who seemed quite unconcerned by her."
Or shocked into inaction and uncertain if this was a physical threat. I'm sure Jo Cox didn't think that arsewipe was a physical threat either. Or Anna Soubry.
These are the times we live in. Elected representatives get assaulted or even shot by people who disagree with them.

She doesn't need to pose any threat or be violent to anyone. It doesn't really matter what her sex is, or her gender for that matter, or his! She was trespassing, his force was reasonable. The only question possibly is over whether she would have left voluntarily if asked. Try and persuade a jury of that!

shocked into inaction

They didn't look that 'shocked' to me. A Sky News journalist was present and said the general response was one of bemusement. After all, they had all seen the protesters so they knew who they were. When is the last time a climate change activist used violence against British politicians?

I'm sure Jo Cox didn't think that arsewipe was a physical threat either. Or Anna Soubry.

Were Jo Cox or Anna Soubry attacked by female protesters at an event with professional security where all bags had to go through a security scanner?

Elected representatives get assaulted or even shot by people who disagree with them.

It happens but it's exceedingly rare. Ordinary men and women get assaulted or even shot by people - almost always men - all the time but that doesn't give us the right to manhandle people.

'She was trespassing, his force was reasonable.'

His force was most definitely unreasonable as any level headed person can see.

As any level headed person with the benefit of hindsight and multiple camera angles can see. Not the same in the moment and naive to think otherwise.
Still, great publicity for her cause, eh?

God, this is so depressing.

**And she could have drawn a knife and stabbed him.

in which case he shouldn't have got involved at all if he thought that was a possibility*

Then she could have stabbed someone else.

Ffs!

Then she could have stabbed someone else

Where was she hiding this scary knife? In the tiny handbag that had to go through an airport style scanner?

Oliver what the fuck do you think Security is for? Do you think they and paramedics like dealing with have-a-go heroes?

Look at his face in the video. He wasn't in the slightest bit scared, he was utterly affronted that this pleb dare interrupt their dinner.

What do you want - a shoot to kill policy ?

Demonstrators actually inside the HoC weren't assaulted, let alone shot

Fortunately, the law does not permit attacking a peaceful demonstrator, just because a rightwing terrorist murdered a woman MP 3 years ago

Normal legal rules about removing trespassers still apply
i.e. it is a legal minefield that should be left to the professionals

There is also a "reasonableness" test
That thuggish MP knows it's overwhelmingly men and the far right who attack politicians
and that climate change demonstrators are just noisy and irritating at a posh dinner

He knew was manhandling an uppity woman, not a dangerous terrorist - or he'd have acted differently !

@IcedPurple , I don't know, I'm not someone who goes around conducting assaults on people I disagree with. I think there are people who do, though.

And again it makes me wonder why no one grabbed Esther McVey's furious heckler by the neck? Or why the comedian who handed May her P45 during her conference speech wasn't immediately body tackled? He was guided out gently by the waist if I recall.

I don't know, I'm not someone who goes around conducting assaults on people I disagree with. I think there are people who do, though.

Indeed. One of them is called Mark Field.

Had I been at the Esther McVey event, I would have probably had a go at the protestor if no one else did. I have no idea why the P45 bloke got so close to the Prime Minister.
What is your point?

Good on him! I'd be inviting Mark Field to my barbecue at the weekend for a bit of extra security (except he's a Tory )

Just seen a newsflash on my phone that he's been suspended?

The point is to illustrate that this was completely out of order and disproportionate.