An English journalist merely doing his duty was abused to such an extent that he had to run for his safety from a baying, hairy mob of anti-lockdown merchants at a protest outside Westminster in London.
Social media videos show Nicholas Watt, the BBC Newsnight political editor, being followed by a large group of wide-eyed, snarling protesters bawling at him words such as "traitor" and "scum".
The aggressive group forced Mr Watt to turn around and sprint back to safety behind the gates of Downing Street, which were heavily guarded by police due to the protest.
A spokesman for BBC News said: “This behaviour is completely unacceptable.
"All journalists should be able to carry out their work without intimidation or impediment.”
Disturbing footage of @BBCNewsnight’s Nick Watt, being pursued by anti-lockdown protesters@umairh wrote recently “Britain — the gentle, wise, intelligent, expansive one — was put to the torch. It became a nation afflicted by a fever dream of nationalism” https://t.co/kdBsB4WfmY https://t.co/jBJYabO0cP
— Stefan Simanowitz (@StefSimanowitz) June 15, 2021
https://twitter.com/RonanB/status/1404753253259268097