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Please spread widely. MP Mark Field viciously attacks a woman who had been participating in a protest at the dinner he was attending. Just shocking, absolutely shocking and disgusting. As well as police hopefully getting involved, this must surely prompt a recall and by-election?
Some Tories are doubling down: "The Tory MP, Sir Peter Bottomley, defended Field, saying the activist 'was trying to create a fuss. Most viewers would say it’s good that she didn’t succeed''." If you're in a hole, dig deeper. It's the Tory way!
theguardian.com/environment/20…
theguardian.com/environment/20…
It's not just MPs...
And here's another version of the clip, with sound. Warning: even more disturbing!
The MP in question has now come forward with a fairly combative "apology".
Finally, here's a longer clip that showed that the protest had been going on for some time so guests were clearly aware of it. This wasn't someone appearing out of nowhere. She was part of a larger group of protesters who had already made themselves known.
And yes, at the very end, that's a round of applause 🤢 🤮
And the answer from Jeremy Hunt, Mark Field's boss and our possible next Prime Minister (just kidding - that'll be Boris Johnson - but *in theory, in an infinite universe*)?
Sickening part (apart from the assault, which goes without saying, except...) is how many high profile people in the public eye, whether politicians, journalists or general hate-mongers, rushed to defend or even laud what Mark Field did, often with the most hyperbolic whatiffery.
When you watch the longer videos, with sound, there's vital context (protest ongoing, etc.). But one video spreading very rapidly is just 8s and silent and helpfully begins as the protester "rushes" past the diners. And that's useful propaganda because it is much more ambiguous.
Same incident, at least 4 videos:
- 8s, silent
- 30s, silent (same video? more context but can't hear protests going on)
- 30s (same video? with sound)
- nearly 3 minutes (different vantage point, shows various protesters before the incident, and security response)
- 8s, silent
- 30s, silent (same video? more context but can't hear protests going on)
- 30s (same video? with sound)
- nearly 3 minutes (different vantage point, shows various protesters before the incident, and security response)
If you watch the 8s one, there's a worrying overuse of force but you could just about hammer it into the "he was acting in defence" narrative if you're morally ambiguous. But as you go down the hierarchy closer and closer to the "truth", justification should become *impossible*!
So any media outlet that chooses to go with the 8s one is clearly trying to skew the narrative.
(When the whole incident has been properly and fully dealt with, university courses that include a module on "propaganda" might want to incorporate a discussion of the 4 videos in the order I listed them, to show how framing changes everything.)
And now the rowing back begins...
While others jump into the hole, grab spades, and keep digging (screenshot because these things have a habit of going walkies...) 
Another Tory MP on the defend Mark Field bandwagon...
