A Tory MP has called for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel to intervene after an “elderly anti-lockdown” protester was forcefully arrested outside the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday.
Addressing the Commons shortly after the arrest, Charles Walker slammed the government, saying he had personally witnessed an elderly lady being hauled “spread-eagle” into a police van, and branding the incident a “disgrace, un-British and unconstitutional.”
In footage posted to social media, the Conservative MP for Broxbourne could be seen angrily addressing a group of officers in Westminster, as they appeared to detain a woman who had been sitting on the road in protest.
“You must have mothers,” he could be heard shouting. “What an outrage! What a disgrace! This is an absolute disgrace.”
MP Charles Walker fuming as elderly protester bundled into the back of a police van outside Parliament pic.twitter.com/kkXl2gkCcv
A visibly angry Walker then raised the issue in parliament, calling on Johnson to “end these injustices now.”
I have just witnessed an elderly lady peacefully protesting with a handful of other people be arrested and carried spread-eagle to a police van.
Walker added that the woman was “robbed of her dignity” for having the “courage” to protest about having her fundamental rights being taken away. He asked the deputy speaker of the House of Commons, Dame Rosie Winterton, to summon Johnson and Patel to parliament to address the incident.
“I have just witnessed an elderly lady peacefully protesting… be arrested and carried spread-eagle to a police van” Conservative MP Sir Charles Walker calls it a “disgrace… un-British and unconstitutional”https://t.co/VSyih3DCqRpic.twitter.com/VaXjFcReZ5
The MP’s angry outburst comes after the embattled home secretary had sparked anger earlier as she announced that protests involving more than two people would be illegal during England’s four-week coronavirus lockdown, which ends on December 2.
Last week, Patel and Johnson became embroiled in another scandal after the PM supported her, despite an independent inquiry finding that some of her behaviour towards staff amounted to “bullying.”
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