PM condemns abuse of BBC journalist by anti-lockdown protesters

Boris Johnson has condemned the ‘disgraceful’ footage

The Prime Minister has led a wave of condemnation over the hounding of a senior BBC journalist by a mob of anti-lockdown protesters.

In a video, widely shared on Twitter, a man, dressed only in a leather biker waistcoat, barks “traitor” repeatedly at Mr Watt as he is outnumbered by the crowd. Another man in a blue shirt chest bumps the fleeing Mr Watts nearly knocking him to the ground and shouts in his face.

Mr Watt was chased through a line of Metropolitan Police officers who appear to do little to stop the pursuing protesters.

A man in his 50s is being interviewed by police at a Hertfordshire police station in connection with the incident, the Met has said.

Boris Johnson condemned "disgraceful" footage of the BBC journalist being harassed.

Supplied

The Prime Minister tweeted: "Disgraceful to see the hounding of Nick Watt doing his job. The media must be able to report the facts without fear or favour - they are the lifeblood of our democracy."

Home Secretary Priti Patel condemned the “appalling and distressing” footage.

Ms Patel tweeted: “The video of @BBCNewsnight’s Nick Watt being abused by a mob is appalling and distressing.“This behaviour is never acceptable.”

She added: “The safety of journalists is fundamental to our democracy.

“This month the Government launched a consultation to better understand the nature & volume of threats and abuse against journalists who are operating in the UK.”

Downing Street earlier said Boris Johnson has seen the footage . The Prime Minister's official spokesman told a Westminster briefing on Tuesday: "This footage is deeply disturbing and journalists should never face that kind of behaviour.

"The right to protest may be fundamental in our democracy but violence, threats and intimidation like this is never acceptable."

The BBC said in a statement: “This behaviour is completely unacceptable.

“All journalists should be able to carry out their work without intimidation or impediment.”

Chairman of the newly launched GB News, Andrew Neil, tweeted: “Disgraceful treatment of Nick Watt. A fine reporter and good friend. Subjected to the intimidation and thuggery of the mob. Simply terrible. Solidarity with Nick.”

Labour MP Sarah Jones, shared the footage, adding: “Awful abuse of a good man trying to do his job.”

The Metropolitan Police said an investigation had been launched after a "number of possible offences" had been identified in the footage. It said: “A man in his fifties is being interviewed by Met detectives at a police station in Hertfordshire in connection with the incident. A second man has been identified and is being actively sought by officers.”

The force added in a statement: "We are aware of a video that has been shared online which shows a journalist being aggressively confronted and chased by a group of protesters in the vicinity of Whitehall on Monday June 14.

"The behaviour shown in the video is unacceptable. Members of the public, of any profession, have the right to go about their day without being subjected to verbal harassment or actions that put them in fear for their safety."

After some online suggested officers should have intervened in the incident, the force said: "In this instance, while officers were nearby as part of the policing response to the ongoing protest, they were not in the immediate vicinity of the incident.

"It was not clear at the time exactly what had taken place but after reviewing the video footage, a number of possible offences have been identified and an investigation has been launched."

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