Tory MP urged to quit after grabbing a climate change protestor – the internet reacts
Only one thing everyone’s talking about today, Tory MP and government minister Mark Field grabbing and manhandling a woman protestor who disrupted chancellor Philip Hammond’s Mansion House speech.
Video footage emerged of Field pushing the Greenpeace activist against a pillar and appearing to grab her neck.
WATCH: Conservative MP Mark Field shoves a protestor against a pillar then grabs her by her neck and shoves her out of the Mansion House dinner after climate change protestors interrupted the banquet. pic.twitter.com/DFwZYxROfF
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) June 20, 2019
Just in case you want a little bit more context, here’s a slightly longer version.
In this longer version of the video, you can see the woman apparently posing no immediate threat as she passes behind Mark Field. He marches her out of the room by her neck. I wasn’t there, so I can’t say she didn’t pose a risk, but it looks heavy handed. pic.twitter.com/zX2BtcPW4t
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) June 20, 2019
And here are some of the things people were saying about the incident today.
1.
This is so upsetting. The climate-change protestors were, according to the police and friends who were there, wholly peaceful. Why on earth does Field react with such ferocity? The violence of his intervention is quite wrong. https://t.co/q5OorQcQFr
— Robert Peston (@Peston) June 20, 2019
2.
A man recently got 150 hours unpaid work for throwing a milkshake at Farage. What do you think Mark Field will get for this assault? https://t.co/D5t3KtifIu
— Jonathan (@jabberwock951) June 20, 2019
3.
Mark Field would have had a field day with the suffragettes. Hardly any cameras around then, too.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) June 21, 2019
4.
https://twitter.com/SpillerOfTea/status/1141842752436604928
5.
Mark Field needs to resign this morning. Then he should be arrested. That’s what would happen to anyone else. Wearing black tie is not some kind of invisibility cloak.
— Katy Brand (@KatyFBrand) June 21, 2019
6.
"Throwing a milk drink is essentially an act of violent terrorism"
"Physically assaulting a peaceful female protester and gripping her by the neck is fine because she interrupted dessert"
Same people.
Mark Field is the image of establishment privilege & misogyny.— Richard Littler (@richard_littler) June 21, 2019
7.
I think we can all agree that, if the situation had been completely different, and if the protester’s behaviour had been completely different, then we might all have a completely different view of Mark Field’s actions.
— Stig Abell (@StigAbell) June 21, 2019
8.
It is astonishing there are people defending Mark Field. The video is horrifying. He didn't simply manhandle a protestor. He grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against the wall.
And he says in his defence he reacted 'instinctively' – that is all the more damning.— Stephen Pollard (@stephenpollard) June 21, 2019
9.
Do Tories realise that slamming a climate change protestor into a pillar for trying to draw attention to the fact our planet is burning might not be the best look?pic.twitter.com/3OoYRJKZ95
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) June 20, 2019
10.
Men attacking women. Powerful men dressed in the regalia of bourgeois privilege attacking women trying to save the planet. The greenwashed City elite stands by and does nothing. The symbolism of this will resonate for a century… https://t.co/nfzUF40jFY
— Paul Mason (@paulmasonnews) June 21, 2019
11.
“By assaulting Mark Field’s hand with her throat, the intolerant green movement once again show their hatred of free speech and debate”, my latest piece for Spiked.
— . (@twlldun) June 21, 2019
