Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Man-handling climate change protestors

999 replies

Leafyhouse · 20/06/2019 23:17

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?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
historysock · 21/06/2019 12:32

Some mp on the radio just tried to justify it by saying ' he thought she had a fold up truncheon' ? Come on now....where? Stuffed down her evening dress?
And also yes, I'm sure she planned to infiltrate a black tie dinner then start bopping people over the head with her truncheon... she probably took inspiration from Mr Punch Hmm

BigChocFrenzy · 21/06/2019 12:36

MarkField@MarkFieldUK

The UK remains committed to helping women all over the world to feel safe and protected in the work they do, so they can speak freely and be part of the change we all want

< good example to all those foreign governments, Mark >

Hopeygoflightly · 21/06/2019 12:37

This thread has gone crackers! To me this looks like a man, annoyed at a woman’s behaviour, has lost his temper and used his greater strength to subdue her.
He’s being investigated for assault, and if chucking a milkshake over someone is classed as assault I would hope that grabbing someone forcefully by the neck is too.

BigChocFrenzy · 21/06/2019 12:38

If it becomes acceptable to assault a peaceful demonstrator from a known peaceful organisation,
then we can forget about the right to demonstrate against UC, hunting, Brexit etc

Most people won't demonstrate if they think they'll be assaulted

Hopeygoflightly · 21/06/2019 12:39

Big, brave Mark. I wonder what he would have done to a 6’2 male protester... fuck all would be my guess.

Gth1234 · 21/06/2019 12:42

In many places the protestors may well have been killed. They got away lightly.

How on earth were protestors able to get into the area at all. They could have been terrorists. What on earth was the security doing. Was Khan responsible for the poor security?

thethethethethe · 21/06/2019 12:43

Predictably, people posting on Yahoo think he did a great job. How's this for a little gem:
Men have been manhandling ill disciplined women since the beginning of time, so a no news story here. Only in western societies would this nothingness make the headlines.

smilethoyourheartisbreaking · 21/06/2019 12:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DuMondeB · 21/06/2019 12:44

Was Khan responsible for the poor security?

Lol.

PinkieTuscadero · 21/06/2019 12:44

Several people in London burnt their toast this morning. I blame Sadiq Khan.

IcedPurple · 21/06/2019 12:44

In many places the protestors may well have been killed.

Could you name those 'places'? What is the human rights record of those 'places' like in general? Would you like to live as a woman in one of those 'places'?

They could have been terrorists.

All luggage went through airport style scanners. So no, they couldn't have been.

Was Khan responsible for the poor security?

Ah, so now we get to the real point.

BigChocFrenzy · 21/06/2019 12:44

He knew the demonstrators had been through a security screen

So he knew he was much safer than outside in normal everyday life

He was just angry at a woman interrupting a posh dinner and saying things he disagreed with

I'd be cross if I'd dressed up and paid a lot of money to eat out, but I wouldn't manhandle any annoying twat spoiling my dinner.

BollocksToBrexit · 21/06/2019 12:45

So many people rushing to defend what he did when he's not even defending himself. He's admitted he was out of line, shouldn't have done it and apologised to the woman.

FiddlesticksAkimbo · 21/06/2019 12:45

If it becomes acceptable to assault a peaceful demonstrator from a known peaceful organisation, then we can forget about the right to demonstrate against UC, hunting, Brexit etc

Most people won't demonstrate if they think they'll be assaulted

I'm a regular protester, and hate the Tories, but I think he acted correctly.

mbosnz · 21/06/2019 12:46

In many places the protestors may well have been killed. They got away lightly.

Seems the Tories aren't the only ones engaged in a race to the bottom.

Let's all be thankful we don't live in China, huh? I would like to think that the UK is a slightly better bastion of democracy and human rights than that, surely?

thethethethethe · 21/06/2019 12:46

So, Gth1234, you reckon we should be comparing the way we deal with protestors (against the most serious crisis mankind has ever faced) with how the protestors in Tiananmen Square were dealt with 30 years ago, for instance? Shall we just forget about being a civilised western democracy, and compare ourselves with the worst regimes in the world, and give ourselves a pat on the back?

BigChocFrenzy · 21/06/2019 12:47

MPs have a right to be kept safe,
but security is not there to keep them from being embarassed

FiddlesticksAkimbo · 21/06/2019 12:47

By the way, I'd invite him to my barbecue this weekend for a bit of extra security (except he's a Tory Grin)

thethethethethe · 21/06/2019 12:49

He is an angry man who is used to bullying women and getting his own way. He needs to be prosecuted and demoted.

mummmy2017 · 21/06/2019 12:50

It took me a few times to see it was a phone in her hand.
Also the way she march forward, there is no way she intend to do anything but cause, what would you have said if she assulted a man....

Gth1234 · 21/06/2019 12:50

This isn't just some private meeting.

This is a well regarded event attended by important people. The chancellor was making a speech. Who provides the security for events of this nature, because someone has not being doing their job properly in allowing protestors to infiltrate.

So is the mayor, or the metropolitan police responsible for security, or some private group. What if the (so-called) peaceful protestors had been armed terrorists.

I guarantee protestors wouldn't have managed to do this sort of stunt at Royal Ascot.

BigChocFrenzy · 21/06/2019 12:52

"I'm a regular protester, and hate the Tories, but I think he acted correctly."

I've been to maybe 2 protests in my nearly 63 years, I don't hate anyone - and it's pretty obvious that MP lost his temper and took the law into his own hands

A dreadful example for an MP to set

A dreadful example for a Foreign Office minister to set, shortly after lecturing other countries on letting women "speak freely"

  • he's made us a laughing stock. Again
BigChocFrenzy · 21/06/2019 12:54

Security is there to prevent harm, not embarassment

The demonstrators went through a security screen, so we know they were unarmed
Job done

mbosnz · 21/06/2019 12:55

"Mansion House are looking into the breach of security that took place and we believe it is right they are now reviewing their security arrangements.”

From:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jun/21/mark-field-suspended-as-minister-after-grabbing-climate-protester-by-neck

FannyWork · 21/06/2019 12:56

For all the lefts posturing this incident has shown them for the racist elitists they really are.

If the protestor hadn’t been a smartly dressed white woman, then we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. It’s just another case of wealthy white people thinking they can do whatever the fuck they like and get away with it because they’re massively entitled and over privileged.