Climate protesters at Mansion House

Annie your question has raised an interesting issue. Does anyone seriously think Mark Field would have acted the wayhe did if the protestor had been male? As for those who think he "tried to redirect her" have you ever been held by the back of the neck? It is painful and very controlling. Many years ago male teachers used to use this method to remove troublesome children from classrooms. It would now be, quite rightly, considered assault.

Not Frank Field, GG13. Can't imagine him reacting violently. Mark Field said he thought the protester might be armed. The pictures clearly show her hands and goodness knows where she would have kept a gun. I wonder how much Field had had to drink...

Well thankfully others saw what I did and he’s bedn suspended
He shouldn’t have ‘grabbed’ anything Flexiblefriend and the fact he did and with such contorted anger on his face shows a remarkable lack of self control

I'd grab these activists by the scruff of the neck too ! Pests.
Security should get the rollicking not the chap who rightfully threw her and her entourage out.

What a surprise those who always post anti-Tory posts are defending this woman.

What if it had been a Brexit supporter at a union event? I don't think their posts would have been the same.

From the clip I saw he grabbed her raised hand (which could have held anything from a leaflet to a vial of acid). He then put his hand on the back of her neck to push her out of the room - does anyone think she would have meekly walked out on her own.

At a time when politicians are under increasing threat of violence I don't blame him for reacting to a perceived threat. How did she get past security

I don't think he behaved like a thug at all. He handled it awkwardly because he was sitting and she was standing so was at a disadvantage in that respect. If he hadn't have grabbed her neck it would have been he chest and what a field day complainers would have had with that. he frogmarched her out of there and she tried to turn back so had he not had a firm grip she would have managed. The fact she is female is irrelevant.

May shows common sense

Downing St has suspended Mark Field as an FCO minister. “Theresa May has seen the footage and found it very concerning.”

The danger of accepting the sort of behaviour displayed by Field

@IanDunt
This is different to the usual guff. If it's seen that there's a tolerant, or even gleeful, audience for this kind of behaviour it will increase.

Guess who said this?

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.

This is how it should be done: www.msn.com/en-xl/africa/videos/esther-mcvey-speech-interrupted-by-man-shouting-fake-news/vp-AACF6lX

Oh my God that man is a thug that was dreadful he should be prosecuted and I can’t believe women on here are defending him No politics is worth defending a thug over That was unforgivable no matter what his political persuasion is I would say the same I pity his wife if he has such a short uncontrollable fuse

gg13

Absolute rot. The other men seemed to manage the peaceful demonstrators without such a show of violence.

Remember the security breach at Mays conference speech. How many brave men leapt to her, their beloved leaders, defence?

Zilch, zero.

Having watched this several times, I have made the following observations.

She slipped through security whilst they were ejecting the other (5) protesters.

Security should have realised and been chasing after her.

Frank Field acted out of fear and instinct, she could have been carrying a knife/acid or worse, he couldn’t have known.

As he is directing her out of the room she is smiling (smirking) she had achieved her directive......all over the media, everyone talking about it.

The fact that the protester was female is totally irrelevant.

MPs are having death threats daily to themselves and their families, he was correct in his actions in my opinion.

Grabbing her by the neck is not redirecting!

Yes a bad security breach. Questions will need to be answered.

But what happened constituted actual bodily assault. Acting instinctively is no excuse.

I agree with Monbiot

GeorgeMonbiot
@GeorgeMonbiot

People like Mark Fields are powerful, and yet they seem uncontainably angry. I think this tells us plenty about the nature of power.

Great minds thought alike then trisher!
?

I don’t think Mark Field so much as manhandled her as tried to redirect her - and she was pretty determined to keep going so it got a bit argy bargy! She must have, as a demonstrator, expected this.

I agree trisher. This was clearly an assault and he should be sacked. I don't care how it's dressed up as a possible security threat, it was a sustained (and wholly disproportionate) assault on a woman, and those who did nothing to help her should be ashamed.

I think anyone pushing someone else up against a wall, grabbing them by the back of the neck and not letting go even when they are complying with your demand that they leave constitutes assault whatever the gender of the victim.

Would there be the same complaint if she had been he?

I think
MP Mark field forcibly removes a GreenPeace activist from the room.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48714864
I think he goes too far and it constitutes assault. But what do others think?
I can't help remembering that 110 years ago a meeting addressed by the then Chancellor Lloyd George had tickets marked "Not to be sold to a woman" because the government feared the actions of suffragettes. When people can only make their voice heard through protest it doesn't bode well for the future.

Sorry Urmstongran I started a thread because ths didn't come up. I'll see if I can get it removed

I thought he was somewhat heavy handed the way he manhandled her out of the place, possibly knee jerk reaction but I think he will be pilloried for it Nevertheless it was a security breach and terrorism is always at the fore these day, particularly at such a gathering.

I too agree, MP’s must be on high alert , the country is too

Quite agree Urmstongran - if everyone just sat back and it had been a terror attack what would the outcome have been? Greenpeace say they annouced themselves - a, they shouldn't have been there b. if a group of people burst into a private room would those seated register what had been said - no they would react by instinct. It's called 'fight and flight' - they should be done for trespass - and a few other things!
Also security need to come up with some answers!!

Agreed, Urmstongran. Mark Field reacted instinctively, and appropriately, to an unknown threat. For all anyone knew, the protestor could have been marching up to the podium armed with a knife or worse. And yes, security must have been lax.