Conservative MP seen manhandling female climate change protester at Mansion House event

[Denzil_DC]

Video has emerged of a Conservative MP manhandling a climate change protester who interrupted Philip Hammond‘s Mansion House speech.

Mark Field can be seen standing up from his chair and grabbing the woman as she walks past him, before pinning her against a pillar and marching her away.

As the pair passes the camera the MP is seen gripping the woman’s neck tightly.

None of the Greenpeace-affiliated protesters were arrested over the disruption to Mr Hammond’s address, City of London Police said.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mark-field-video-climate-change-protester-female-mansion-house-greenpeace-a8968241.html

Link to tweet

BBC Newsnight ✔
@BBCNewsnight

Footage shows foreign office minister Mark Field MP removing a protestor from the Mansion House dinner earlier this evening.

“It looks to be a very difficult situation for everyone concerned,” says @AlistairBurtUK #newsnight | @KirstyWark

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Paul Brand ✔
@PaulBrandITV

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.

After a media furore erupted, Field released a statement:




Field would like us to know that we can't trust our lying eyes, which show the woman walking, not even that briskly, past some diners who don't even react, until Field turns around in his seat, grabs at her, pushes her heavily into a pillar, then grapples with her clumsily before shoving her forcefully and frogmarching her towards the exit while gripping her by the neck. (Had she indeed been armed, leaving her hands free as he did would mean we'd now likely be discussing the deceased MP for the Cities of London and Westminster. As it is, we may be discussing the ex-MP etc. etc.)





Footage from moments earlier and a different angle shows other protesters being intercepted and escorted out rather less brutally:

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Ian Fraser ✔
@Ian_Fraser

This is the moment climate change protestors disrupted "Spreadsheet" Phil Hammond's Mansion House speech (just before Mark Field MP appeared to assault one of them)

There's been no identification so far of the protester, and no indication whether she's suffered lasting ill effects.

As Foreign Office Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Field's boss is Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, whose campaign team is unlikely to be happy about their prime ministerial candidate having to answer some awkward questions tomorrow concerning what he intends to do about it. Meanwhile, some of the pathetic excuses and even cheers of approval being spouted by certain Tory MPs aren't reflecting well on them or their party.