The Met Police are investigating the incident that occurred on Sunday in St James’ Park, London. The incident saw two men manhandling Professor Whitty and harassing him for a photo.
Prof. Whitty is seen to struggle free as one places him in a headlock and the other chants.
Political reaction
Since Professor Whitty’s work has been vital to the UK’s COVID response, politicians from both aisles have come together to condemn the “thugs” that harassed him.
Vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi MP tweeted on Monday saying the “thugs must be found and charged”.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson also condemned the assault on Twitter, saying “Our hard-working public servants should not have to face this kind of intimidation.”
The viral video has raised calls for state-funded security details for public servants. Despite the police van in the background, very little action is done to protect Professor Whitty, aside from a quiet command at the end of the video.
