A climate activist who was forcibly grabbed by a British MP at a black-tie dinner says the suspended junior minister needs to go on an anger management program.
Mark Field has been stood down as Foreign Office Minister after footage of him emerged grabbing the woman by the neck and forcibly pushing her out of the room.
Greenpeace activist Janet Barker had interrupted a speech by Britain’s finance minister at the banquet in London on Thursday night when the altercation occurred.
She says his reaction was “over the top”.
“It's unfortunate for him, it's unfortunate what he did,” she told the BBC.
“I'd quite like him to go on anger management perhaps and I hope he doesn't do it again because there was some serious anger there.”
Mr Field has since apologised for manhandling Ms Barker, saying he “deeply regretted” the episode.
“But in the current climate I felt the need to act decisively to close down the threat to the safety of those present," he added in a statement to ITV.
Ms Barker says she expected some resistance from the crowd to her actions but not to the extent which eventuated, adding she and other activists were acting peacefully.
“I was simply walking past his chair or trying to walk past his chair. So yeah, they were really over the top.''
“I expected to maybe engage in a conversation or two with people, perhaps people blocking my way but certainly not to be grabbed around the neck and grappled out of the room.”
