Police to investigate after security guard kneels on neck of 70-year-old man
By Sian Bayley, local democracy reporter
Wandsworth police are investigating assault allegations after a 70-year-old man had to go to hospital after being restrained by security guards while protesting the felling of a 100-year-old tree at York Gardens, Battersea.
The man, named by Extinction Rebellion as Dmitri, is seen being restrained by security guards in a video shared by protesters.
It appears one security guard is kneeling on his neck, with another on his chest.
He can be heard saying “I can’t breathe” while other members of the public call out “leave him alone.”
Tree cutting started at around 6:30am this morning (March 15), however it has not been finished due to health and safety concerns.
Last week a court order granted Wandsworth Council and Taylor Wimpey possession of the land that the tree grows on.
However, the issue of who owns the road – where the tree’s canopy overhangs and where the protesters have been sitting and standing – is not clear, and may be decided when the issue returns to the court.
Over the weekend, the remaining ‘tree protector’, Bradley, came down from the tree.
Protesters had inhabited the tree to prevent its felling since February 22.
A spokesperson for the MET’s South West Basic Command Unit said in a statement:
“On Monday, March 15, police attended at a private construction site run by Wandsworth Council due to protests taking place over the felling of a large tree.
“Whilst in attendance a number of attempts to force entry to the site were made by protestors.
“One such attempt resulted in the restraint of a male on the floor by security guards.
“The male was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure and Wandsworth police are currently investigating assault allegations.”