Climate protesters at Mansion House

It's hardly aggression or violence though, is it?

I can’t believe you wrote thar oldgimmer did you actually see what he did, but then of course you think she was ‘asking for it’ probably.

There is no way this was the ‘right thing’. That was assault and he deserves everything that is about to come his way.

Where did he imagine this woman was carrying a weapon when she was wearing a fitted, sleeveless dress.

Disgusted at him.

Talking about reasonable force. The police must be getting cheesed off with the Tory party.

Our next prime minister caused them to be called out last night as he used reasonable force against his girl friend.

I doubt the MP noticed the high heels and close fitting dress .
The man panicked, he has apologised.

Baroness Shami is playing the fragile woman card, she called her ‘a young woman ‘, why not ‘an intruder’ ?

Given the threats which have hounded MP’s for the last 3 years, they must be on red alert.

It's hardly aggression or violence though, is it?

If it's deemed reasonable force then the matter will drop. If it's deemed to be unreasonable force, or assault, then it's up to the protester to make a complaint and the police to forward the incident to the CPS. The CPS will decide if it's worth prosecuting.

It doesn't matter what a bunch of internet randoms think.

Personally I think it's a non-issue. Protester walks in unannounced, person (over) reacts and matched protester out, using force which is deemed appropriate to the situation.

If it was a male......full on rugby tackle!

This thread is making me so sad. It’s irrelevant what political affiliation someone has, Field’s behaviour was not proportionate. You only have to look at how others have responded to protesters to realise that. And the “what if this, what if that” stuff is just childish. The situation is clear. A fairly small woman, in high heels and a close fitting dress was physically assaulted by a large man for no reason. Anyone who supports this sort of behaviour needs to consider what they are supporting and where licence for this ends up. It’s like Trump egging on violence against the media and hecklers. I hope you don’t pass down this support for aggression and violence- against men or women protesting peacefully- to your grandchildren. As for those accusing the protesters of hypocrisy: please provide some evidence for this or keep your bigotry to yourself.

I think his behaviour was disgraceful. It appears the general legal consensus is that it constituted an assault. The woman could not reasonably have been perceived to be a threat. She, and others, had disrupted the event and no doubt caused annoyance but she had not physically threatened or assaulted anyone. He was just very angry and that was the way he vented his anger. Having your evening disrupted and feeling furious is not grounds for assaulting someone.

lemongrove Walter Wolfgang, a peace campaigner and former refugee from Nazi Germany, was the elderly man heckled (also disgracefully) at a Labour event. He shouted "Nonsense" to Jack Straw - not Jeremy Corbyn - when Straw defended the invasion of Iraq. In fact Corbyn paid tribute recently paid tribute to Wolfgang following his death.

The man Prescott punched was not a "bystander" but a person who threw an egg in his face at very close range. In my view, he shouldn't have punched the man but to describe his assailant as a "bystander" is misleading.

I doubt if he would have treated a man in the same way though
I agree, he may have been more forceful with a man

What the hell as Brexit got to do with it!
Absolutely nothing, so it was a daft remark!

Nor has being a woman anything to do with the view that a potentially dangerous person was forcibly removed, therefore a possibly dangerous situation averted.
Who knew, in that split-second, what her intentions were?

I normally support Greenpeace

I doubt if he would have treated a man in the same way though .

Thing was - she clearly wasn’t a suicide bomber. Mark Field has admitted he overreacted and has apologised to the lady concerned. She does not want to peruse the matter even though he would have been guilty of common assault.

You've only to see how some of the protesters treat the police and emergency services yet if the police were filmed using force they too would be suspended.
Because this happened to be a woman, you'll have the women's rights brigade up in arms, but hey-up, I thought women crowed about equality ?
This man would have still acted the same had it been another man.
So what's different ?

How any woman can support this behaviour is totally beyond me
Women can be murderers and suicide bombers too, Bluebelle.

Who knows what her intentions were?

Perhaps he was thinking of all the threats that have been made against MPs - some of which have been carried out as we know only too well. There could potentially have been a very serious incident - no-one knew at the time.
Who knows if she had had a weapon?
How did she get through security? That is very worrying.

I think he did the right thing. You can use reasonable force where a threat is thought to exist, even if, in fact, it transpires there is no actual threat.

Also should be taken into account that protester doesn't want to report the matter to the police and, in any event, it's probably not in the public interest to prosecute.

Have none of us ever overreacted? I know I have, and regretted it.

“He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone (at her).” John 8:7.

Yes, he did overreact and in that respect was wrong, but he didn't exactly have much time to think it through. If she had been armed, he'd be being praised now.

A proper investigation of the whole event is needed, not the knee-jerk reactions of amateurs and journalists.

trisher would you be so condemning of his actions if she had been a Brexit supporter?

I just wonder do you suppose those who approve of his actions would be as supportive if he wasn't wearing a DJ but a hoody?

POGS have you looked at the video? There is no one near the entrance as he shoves her out towards the hall. 2 women staff step forward as he nears the exit and he ignores both of them. There are still some protestors outside in the entrance hall but they are nowhere near the event and they are leaving. If as you insist there are still protestors at the event please will you tell me where they are?

He is a nasty bully. It was written all over his face. He was in his element.

Did you see the look on his face? It was full of vile anger and the man was out of control. It then appeared that he proceeded to frog march her to the exit whilst everyone else just sat there. There were many witnesses to what he did and there's no denying he should not have touched her. He was not a member of the security staff.

I hope she sues him as he could have injured her badly gripping the back of her neck. He continued to hold her in a grip as they walked the length of the room. Whilst some may think the protestors annoying, and disapprove of their methods, they are highlighting a serious problem which our children and grandchildren will inherit.

WW mk 2

" I feel sorry for his wife and children given his explosive behaviour."
----

I am happy for you to accuse me too of reading too much into your comments as I think it was as clear as a naked hang glider what you were implying about his relationship with his family.

WW mk 2

'What a relief that none of you who consider Fields action appropriate are responsible for making any decisions over this case.

To not to be able to recognise a man whose anger is both explosive and clearly out of control is worrying. '
---

I hold a different opinion in that it is a relief those who cannot accept the climate of abuse, physical harm and violent behaviour our MP' s are subjected to and who do not allow for the possibility of direct action being taken if there is a chance of something of the likes we have all witnessed, heard of coming from activists in particular are responsible for ' making any decisions over this case.'

To not be able to recognise the ' possibility' of a serious act of violence by someone getting close to his/her target, the Chancellor, is also worrying.

wadesnan

You are reading too much in my comments.