Footage shows the Tory MP grabbing the climate change protester as she walks behind him, shoving her against a column as he gets out of his seat and then taking hold of the back of her neck as he forcefully walks her out of the room.
Activists had interrupted the black-tie dinner for bankers and politicians, who had gathered at Mansion House to hear a speech from Chancellor Philip Hammond.
Police are looking into reports of an assault, and Mr Field, the MP for Cities of London and Westminster, has apologised and referred himself to the Cabinet Office for investigation.
As the video went viral online and was viewed by millions, Mr Field claimed he feared the woman was armed and apologised while calling her an "intruder".
He said in a statement to ITV: "In the confusion many guests understandably felt threatened and when one protester rushed past me towards the top table I instinctively reacted.
"There was no security present and I was for a split-second genuinely worried she might have been armed.
"As a result I grasped the intruder firmly in order to remove her from the room as swiftly as possible."
He added that he "deeply" regretted the incident and would cooperate fully with a Cabinet Office investigation.
0 comments:
Post a Comment