Katherine Forster, a reporter for GB News, spoke about being left feeling “shaken up” by an “intimidating” interaction with a pro-Palestinian protester in a live broadcast on Saturday. The Metropolitan Police has announced that they are investigating the incident.
Forster, who began by reporting on the events of the 7th week of consecutive protests by pro-Palestinian groups in Central London, said that the protests she had seen all followed a similar pattern.
“They start out very peaceful, there’s babies and buggies, there’s people with dogs, there’s people in wheelchairs; all ages, all ethnicities,” Forster explained. However, “things often turn unpleasant a little bit later, [and] of course, there’s always people out for trouble.
“The police have been handing out leaflets, trying to clarify to protesters what might get them arrested. They’d rather not arrest people, but it inevitably looks like there’s always a few" who will be.
Only two weeks ago, the Metropolitan police were forced to detain 150 protesters as a demonstration on Armistice Day that turned violent.
Intimidation of the press
“In the last hour or so… our backwatcher, who is here to keep us safe, had really quite an unpleasant experience. A guy on a tannoy, shout[ed] at us [and] wanted to know who we were broadcasting from. He wouldn’t go away, [and] was very persistent. Eventually, I said “GB News” and at that point he just… I can’t tell you what he said but it was vile: “Facist, scum”…et cetera. A group of people came around us, all shouting at us," she said. “I have to say, it was very intimidating. I was shaking by the end of it.
“We then moved to a completely different place and at the end of that, lo and behold, he appeared again. Police spoke to him and he’s been moved on. We’ve been told to stay here and we’re filing a police report.”
The Metropolitan Police later confirmed that they were investigating the incident, writing on X (formerly Twitter) that “The right of the press to freely report on protests is no less important than the right to protest itself. They should be able to do so without facing intimidation or aggression."
“Officers spoke with the journalist and her team following this incident. An investigation is underway.”
The right of the press to freely report on protests is no less important than the right to protest itself. They should be able to do so without facing intimidation or aggression.Officers spoke with the journalist and her team following this incident. An investigation is… https://t.co/lQySmi076p
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) November 26, 2023
Gary Mond, Chairman of the National Jewish Assembly, commented to The Jerusalem Post: "This incident might appear to some to be minor, but in reality it is an excellent demonstration of the concept of intolerance shown by so-called pro-Palestinian demonstrators. They are a national disgrace."