Police rush to protect Michael Gove as protesters swarm in Westminster

Michael Gove was swarmed by protesters on the streets of Westminster on Tuesday afternoon.

Footage posted to social media shows a large crowd of demonstrators rushing towards the cabinet minister on Horseferry Road before being pushed away by police officers.

During the clip, protesters can be heard screaming “absolute w*****” as others rush towards Mr Gove holding cameras.

Another angle revealed a man rushing up to the minister. He could be heard asking: “Mr Gove, how do you justify the illegal lockdowns that have been pushed on this country?”

The Metropolitan Police acknowledged the footage in a tweet on Tuesday.

They wrote: “We’re aware of a protest in Westminster today which is marching to a number of locations.

“During this protest, a group attempted to surround a Member of Parliament on Horseferry Road.

“Our officers were immediately on scene where they safely escorted him to a nearby building.”

They added: “There were no arrests. We know there is footage circulating online of this incident, we will review this and our officers body worn video to see if any offences occurred.

“We continue to escort the protest and will be working hard to disrupt any potential criminal activity.”

Mr Gove - the minister for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities - has previously given his support for vaccine passports.

He has also been an advocate for tough restrictions to control the spread of the virus throughout the pandemic.

In June, Mr Gove suggested those who refuse to take the vaccine are “selfish” and put other people’s lives at risk.

It comes amid heightened fears over the safety of MPs following the killing of Sir David Amess, who was knifed to death during a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea last Friday.

Downing Street has said the actions of anti-lockdown protestors who surrounded Levelling Up Secretary Gove were “completely unacceptable”.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the Government expected the police to take such behaviour seriously.

Asked about the incident involving Mr Gove, the spokesman said: “The harassment and intimidation of anyone going about their daily business is completely unacceptable.

“We will expect the police to take this kind of behaviour seriously. While peaceful protest remains an important cornerstone of our democracy, threatening, intimidating or abusive language cannot be tolerated.”

Downing Street has said the targeting of individuals because of their support for the Covid vaccines was “abhorrent” and should not be tolerated in a democratic society.

After Michael Gove was surrounded by anti-lockdown protestors, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The approach we have taken, particularly on issues such as vaccination, is to provide clarity and information to provide reassurance to those who have legitimate questions.

“What is completely unacceptable is for those who disagree with our approach to try and target individuals, be they ministers or schools or parents and children.

“That sort of behaviour is abhorrent and will never be tolerated in a democratic society.”

London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the treatment of Michael Gove by protesters and thanked police for stepping in.

“This is just wrong,” Mr Khan said.

“Politicians should be able to go out without being intimidated or fearing for their safety.”

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