London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

Boris Johnson condemns 'disgraceful hounding' of BBC journalist

Boris Johnson condemns 'disgraceful hounding' of BBC journalist

Boris Johnson has condemned as "disgraceful" footage of a journalist being abused by protesters.

A clip shared on social media shows demonstrators haranguing BBC Newsnight's political editor Nicholas Watt on Monday outside Downing Street.

A crowd had gathered to protest the extension of coronavirus restrictions for a further four weeks.

The protesters shouted "traitor" at Mr Watt and accused him of "lying" about lockdowns being legal.

The Metropolitan Police said they were interviewing a man in his fifties at a police station in Hertfordshire in relation to the incident.

"A second man has been identified and is being actively sought by officers," it added.

Following the emergence of the footage, the prime minister tweeted: "Disgraceful to see the hounding of Nick Watt doing his job.

"The media must be able to report the facts without fear or favour - they are the lifeblood of our democracy."

In a statement, BBC director-general Tim Davie said: "The safety of journalists is fundamental to any democracy - they must be able to report unhindered free from abuse.

"There is absolutely no justification for any journalist to be treated in this way."

'Disturbing footage'


The footage was also condemned by the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, while media minister John Whittingdale said the incident was "totally unacceptable" adding that the UK was "taking the lead" in tackling intimidation of journalists through its national action plan.

Measures in the plan include new training for police officers and journalists, as well as "commitments from social media platforms and prosecution services to take tough action against abusers".

Labour's shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens, said: "This extremely disturbing footage showing clear intimidation of a journalist while carrying out his job is absolutely unacceptable and should be condemned in the strongest terms.

"It is shocking that a BBC lanyard makes someone a target like this."

Following suggestions online that officers should have intervened in the incident, the Metropolitan Police initially said: "In this instance, while officers were nearby as part of the policing response to the ongoing protest, they were not in the immediate vicinity of the incident."

The force later released a further statement saying: "An initial statement issued earlier today suggested officers were not in the immediate vicinity of the incident. It was drafted based on the 45 second video of the incident which was shared very widely on social media this morning.

"We were subsequently made aware of a longer piece of footage lasting 3 minutes and 28 seconds which shows the incident in full.

"It is clear that the incident began on Whitehall where officers were present."

It added that "the behaviour shown in the video is unacceptable - members of the public, of any profession, have the right to go about their day without being subjected to verbal harassment or actions that put them in fear for their safety".

Responding to concerns about police actions during the incident, the Met said it would "be reviewing our actions with a view to improving the policing of events for all Londoners".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
×