Footage showing a prominent BBC journalist being harassed and chased by anti-lockdown protesters in central London has been widely condemned.
The video, uploaded by a YouTube channel called Resistance GB before excerpts were shared on Twitter, shows the political editor of BBC2’s Newsnight, Nicholas Watt, walking outside near Downing Street wearing a BBC lanyard. He is then confronted by the Resistance GB videographer, who asks “How do you guys justify lying by a factor of a thousand about the number of protesters?”
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Watt tries to walk away from the camera, where other protesters begin to also aggressively harass him, pushing and shoving him. He continues to try and move away from protesters who begin to shout in his face. Trying to get away from the mob, he walks through the police line, but the video does not show police intervening. As the crowd follows him, a man grabs him by the shoulder as others shout “traitor,” at him, screaming in his face. One man appears to bang a small drum in his face. Protesters then begin to run after him and shout abuse at him, with many holding their cameras and filming the attack.
Watt finally managed to remove himself from the protest by re-entering a fenced-off area.
A spokesperson for BBC News said: “This behaviour is completely unacceptable. All journalists should be able to carry out their work without intimidation or impediment.”
Numerous politicians have condemned the harassment. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter: “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 protesters’ actions. On Twitter, she wrote: “The video of BBC Newsnight’s Nick Watt being abused by a mob is appalling and distressing. This behaviour is never acceptable. The safety of journalists is fundamental to our democracy.”
Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists said: “The hounding and abuse levelled at Newsnight’s Nick Watt outside Downing Street yesterday by anti-lockdown protesters was frightening and outrageous.”
“It is genuinely shocking that a man escaping a mob screaming at him, shouting traitor and calling him scum, didn’t result in the police immediately intervening,” she continued. Action should be taken against these thugs. No one should have to tolerate such abusive behaviour and harassment simply for doing their job.”
The Metropolitan Police said: “We are aware of a video that has been shared online which shows a journalist being aggressively confronted and chased by a group of protestors in the vicinity of Whitehall on Monday, 14 June.”
“The behaviour shown in the video is unacceptable,” they added. “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.”
“In this instance, while officers were on scene as part of the policing response to the ongoing protest, 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.”
Anyone with information about the attack is encouraged to call 101 or tweet @MetCC or to provide information anonymously to Crimestoppers, anonymously, by calling 0800 555 111.
