Tory Mp, Mark Field, facing calls to be sacked after grabbing protestor by neck.

Original post by 999tigger

She shouldnt have been there.
It is slightly more than usual, but I dont believe any offence has been committed. If the police dont prosecute or he isnt convicted then nothing should happen. In any event the current government is a lame duck considering it will be reformed when I assume Boris becomes leader.

Whether she should or shouldn't have been there is beside the point. Being somewhere you shouldn't does not give others to right to assault you.

Reply 22

StriderHort

Meh whatever, get him chucked in his hole and lets move on.

Reply 23

BlueIndigoViolet

was a non person on the political stage - woman shouldn't be there intruding - security going to get a lot of stick, could have been much worse...

dont know what the woman was expecting, if some raging women charged at you sat at a table, can imagine it being quite unnerving, prompting action...

Reply 24

999tigger

Entertainment Forum Helper, Debate & Current Affairs Helper

Original post by Snufkin

Whether she should or shouldn't have been there is beside the point. Being somewhere you shouldn't does not give others to right to assault you.

he was preventing her unlawfully disrupting a private event. For a jury to decide whether that was unreasonable. I dont really think it was.

Reply 25

Andrew97

OP

Original post by Snufkin

Whether she should or shouldn't have been there is beside the point. Being somewhere you shouldn't does not give others to right to assault you.

Not really.

Reply 26

the beer

14

Original post by username4850374

Sure, punch him in the face after

Great, can't wait for the next GE.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 27

username8408717

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by Fullofsurprises

Let's see if the courts agree with you.

I agree with myself

Reply 28

Snufkin

Original post by 999tigger

he was preventing her unlawfully disrupting a private event. For a jury to decide whether that was unreasonable. I dont really think it was.

Did you see him ask her to leave? I didn't.

Reply 29

Toki the Dumdum

18

I don't see anything unreasonable about what he did. The protester shouldn't have been there. Saying "peaceful protest" doesn't give cover to do as you please.

Reply 30

username8408717

Original post by Snufkin

Whether she should or shouldn't have been there is beside the point. Being somewhere you shouldn't does not give others to right to assault you.

If you think that nobody's going to assult you if you try to disrupt an important event then you must be a fool. Those numpties must of knew they weren't gonna get a good reception and so its completely their fault if they get assualted since they knew what they were getting themselves into.

Reply 31

999tigger

Original post by Snufkin

Did you see him ask her to leave? I didn't.

This wasnt defence of property though. There was a senior minister of state there and she could have been anyone i.e a security risk.
You will have to wait to see what the police and CPS do, but I cant see any reason for them to prosecute.

Reply 32

fallen_acorns

Original post by Fullofsurprises

No ordinary man, even an MP, has the right to grab women by their throats and slam them against walls without the least offer of violence or threat. I hope Greenpeace sue him privately for assault if he doesn't incur an official prosecution, as that's what it was. His excuse that he feared violence is total spin and hokum, the plain result of a post-action legal consultation and a smart alec Barista, er, Barrister.

I agree with you on his excuses, they are rubbish. He got angry, and lost control - any explanation beyond that is just digging himself a deeper hole because we can all clearly see what happened. No one would suspect her of being armed or violent.

Where I disagree, is that I don't like the idea that we are so affraid of contfontations and having to take authority and action, that we have a room full of suposidly powerful leaders, who when confronted with a group barging into their event, are so frozen by fear that they have to sit quitely and politly and let the other people disrupt their private event until the police arrives. I think we should be able to live in a society where if you are having a private event, and people are trying to activly disrupt it and cause trouble, you should be able to take reasonable action without needing the police.

In this case, I say its borderline because I think the push into the column was unnecessary.. him forcibly evicting her from the room I think is perfectly fine.

Reply 33

Connor27

Mark Field did nothing wrong - she should’ve been given a good slap for good measure too.

Reply 34

Guru Jason

I have my phone on powereer saver so can't see the vid. In a world where Mps get stabbed for what they believe, if someone barged into my office, I too would be defensive. All demonstrations should be peaceful and not intrusive in that it make people fear for their safety.

Reply 35

ThomH97

I don't see what else he was supposed to do, given the seeming lack of beefy security and bodyguards. While it's unlikely that a Greenpeace activist was going to physically attack anyone, I don't think that should be taken for granted.

He used the column and his own weight and strength to stop her progress, twisted her around and pushed her out grabbing the back of her neck. I don't know how hard he was squeezing her neck, but unless he's the hulk, there was no danger of injury there, probably bruising though.

I think a counter question would be, what should he (or the invited group as a collective) have done?

Reply 36

Surnia

Original post by Snufkin

Did you see him ask her to leave? I didn't.

You look round and see a woman who shouldn't be at an event striding forward with a bag and something thin and silver in her hand. Do you wait to find out if she has a knife in her hand and something dangerous in her bag? How many times have people watched that video compared to Mark Field seeing a situation that shouldn't be happening and reacting quickly and instinctively?

I was at a football match when a guy came rushing along my row screaming at me to move so he could get at the opposing fans, who were nearby. I told him to stop, he ignored me, I got hold of him and shouted for help. Couple of his mates were coming after him telling him to stop, stewards intervened and took him out. Steward and his mates asked if I was ok, no-one reported me for assault. Should I have stood back?

Reply 37

AperfectBalance

Seems fine to me since she fully deserved it, also glad that the security is so useless, 'protesters' like this need to be reminded they do not have free reign over the country and the people

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 38

Fullofsurprises