Mark Field and the Greenpeace protest

I can’t believe it, how this story of a person being forcibly ejected from somewhere they shouldn't be has been spun into some sort of violence against women project and I cant believe Im defending a Tory but hey ho.

Bearing in mind that I’m a lefty and have no love for Tory policies, however I don’t agree with people throwing stuff over politicians nor do I agree with them being knifed and killed, nor do I agree with terrorists blowing people up nor do I agree with domestic abuse or intimidation.  Now having got that out of the way.

Under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, people can use "reasonable force" in self-defence, to defend someone else, to prevent a crime or to assist in the arrest of someone.

The law says you do not have to wait until someone is attacked: Fear of attack or fear that someone else could be attacked may be sufficient.

How much force is reasonable comes down to the circumstances of each case.

So Let’s stick to the facts shall we.

1. Was this person in a place they should have been = NO
2. Did mark Field seek out this person with the intention of using violence or intimidation = NO
3. Do we live in unprecedented times with regards to terrorists = YES
4. Is our security alert status at one of the highest levels = YES
5. Could this person have been carrying a knife = YES
6. Could this person have been carrying a bomb = YES
7. Could this person have been carrying an acid spray = YES
8. Was the person injured, whilst being removed = NO
9. If they weren’t injured was there an inappropriate use of force = NO
10. Do we each have a responsibility to not put ourselves in harm’s way = YES

If you study the video you can see in the first few seconds Field is struggling with where to put his hands.

"Yes but everyone knows that Greenpeace are peaceful protesters"…. sorry unfortunately these days it only takes one crank to decide to change that.

Many are jumping on the band wagon trying to insinuate this is similar to domestic abuse. It’s not, whilst domestic abuse is abhorrent this is a totally different situation for the 10 reasons I’ve listed above. It’s actually insulting to victims of domestic abuse to suggest that it’s similar.

The rest of the protesters were ejected in a similar forceful manner, nothing being said about them.

At the end of the day none of the protestors were injured, this is all about publicity which they achieved and now others are jumping on the publicity bandwagon.

At the end of the day the question "was reasonable force used" can only really be answered in a court. As no one is pressing charges that wont happen.

SOAPBOX OPINION

No one was injured therefore reasonable force was used.

The person shouldn't have been there and certainly shouldn't have been trying to approach the main table.

SOAPBOX UPDATE

Some people have suggested that the protester was walking slowly handing out leaflets.
This is plainly not true as the person is walking quite quickly and definitely not handing out leaflets.

Fields spots the person at the last moment and puts out arm to stop them.
Protester continues to try and force their way through.
Fields responds with force to stop them and marches them out.
Ill reiterate again No one was injured therefore reasonable force was used.