WHEN it comes to assessing the potential threat posed by men, women are the experts.
It’s more than instinct. It’s a lifetime’s experience of weighing up danger cues; body language, tone and mood. It’s what makes women intervene when they see another woman in distress in a bar, as she tries to politely and safely extract herself from a potentially dangerous situation.
It’s what teaches girls and women about minimisation and de-escalation. It’s why sometimes we will confront a man who harasses us in the street, and on other occasions, we will put our heads down and quickly walk away.
READ MORE: PM sacks Tory MP Mark Field for grabbing protester by neck
The reaction to the shocking video posted late on Thursday night of then-Cabinet minister Mark Field roughly man-handling a female protester was – unsurprisingly – most visceral among women. Not because we were surprised by a man being aggressive towards a woman, but precisely because we weren’t.
In a statement released shortly after the incident, Field said he had referred himself to the Cabinet Office to see whether there had been any breach of the ministerial code.
“I deeply regret this episode and apologise to the lady concerned for grabbing her but in the current climate I felt the need to act to decisively to close down the treat to the safety of those present.’’
Field said he thought the protester, Janet Barker, was armed, but even before his statement was released the “both sides to a story” narrative had already taken hold.
Many expressed their doubts about the Tory MP’s claim that he genuinely believed the woman posed a threat, given the way in which he handles her.
Shortly after Field’s statement, he was suspended as a Foreign Office minister, and a Downing Street spokeswoman said the PM had seen the footage and “found it very concerning”.
My initial reaction to the footage was of deep unease. That came before the anger and indignation.
The video could not be clearer. As Barker walks behind his chair, Field jabs her in the chest to stop her passing. He then stands up and they struggle for a moment. He pushes her forward and tightly grips the back of her neck.
Her head is down and even though she is in a room full of people, she looks scared.
And why wouldn’t she be? Being surrounded by well-dressed people in a well-heeled setting with media and security in attendance didn’t stop Field putting his hands around her neck and aggressively marching her towards the door.
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