People are comparing how Tory MPs react differently to male and female protestors

John Plunkett. Updated June 21st, 2019

Only one story in town today, Tory MP and government minister Mark Field’s reaction when a female Greenpeace activist interrupted the chancellor’s Mansion House dinner.

WATCH: Conservative MP Mark Field shoves a protestor against a pillar then grabs her by her neck and shoves her out of the Mansion House dinner after climate change protestors interrupted the banquet. pic.twitter.com/DFwZYxROfF

— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) June 20, 2019

And amid the shock and outrage there were also a number of people defending his actions – she could have been a security risk, right?

Which got the Guardian’s Peter Walker comparing how Conservative MPs react when the intruder is a man – and a woman.

https://twitter.com/peterwalker99/status/1141963309517877248

Just in case you missed the launch of Esther McVey’s so-called Tory leadership bid, see if you can spot the Conservative MPs frogmarching the protester out of the room?

BREAKING: McVey speech interrupted by extremely aggressive man shouting “you are fake news! Fake Tories” pic.twitter.com/EJmBrXJdjS

— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) June 10, 2019

Here’s more of what Walker had to say.

Perhaps it’s trickier prospect to try and grab a burly, shouting man.

And if I can lurch into amateur psychology, Field’s face on the video does not, to me, show a man worried about a threat. It shows a man furious his dinner has been interrupted.

— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) June 21, 2019

A final thought: while I realise people who do feel under threat can act irrationally, if you fear someone could have a weapon, even in a bag, you’d presumably grab their arms, not their neck?

— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) June 21, 2019

It wasn’t the first Conservative party event to be interrupted by a man. Remember this?

https://twitter.com/MarinaHyde/status/1141953166931648513

Look at all those Tory MPs rushing to intervene!

Watch the moment a comedian tries to hand @Theresa_May a P45 letter during her conference speech #CPC17 pic.twitter.com/egAel2lyxs

— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 4, 2017

And here’s what ITV’s Paul Brand, whose video of last night’s incident went viral, had to say about it.

I was at this particular event and it was genuinely quite worrying – the man was overtly aggressive and Esther McVey was sitting just a couple of feet away. Peter makes an interesting comparison. https://t.co/ia6zJoAdWh

— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) June 21, 2019

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