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Police break up House of Commons brawl with CS gas
LONDON (AFP) - Police used CS gas to break up a nighttime brawl in the House of Commons after an apparent spat between two journalists attending a Tory party function, police and media reports said on Tuesday.
The two men were at a reception being hosted by Conservative chairman Eric Pickles when they began to argue, police said. They left the event but continued their argument in the corridor just metres from the chamber were MPs were holding an evening debate on Africa.
They were stopped by a policeman, but one of the men became aggressive. In the ensuing fracas, the officer was lightly injured and used CS gas to subdue the man, a police statement said.
"Two 'non-passholder' guests began arguing at a reception. Both men left the reception and subsequently entered a corridor in a private area of the House where they were stopped by a police officer," the statement said.
"One of the men became aggressive, resulting in his arrest. The man was taken to a central London police station, where he remains in custody." The police refused to comment on his identity.
A Conservative Party source quoted by the Guardian said those involved in the spat were journalists.
"We understand that three journalists who earlier in the evening had been at Eric Pickles' party left and at some point later on created some kind of disturbance. There was nothing in their behaviour earlier that suggested they would act like this."
LONDON (AFP) - Police used CS gas to break up a nighttime brawl in the House of Commons after an apparent spat between two journalists attending a Tory party function, police and media reports said on Tuesday.
The two men were at a reception being hosted by Conservative chairman Eric Pickles when they began to argue, police said. They left the event but continued their argument in the corridor just metres from the chamber were MPs were holding an evening debate on Africa.
They were stopped by a policeman, but one of the men became aggressive. In the ensuing fracas, the officer was lightly injured and used CS gas to subdue the man, a police statement said.
"Two 'non-passholder' guests began arguing at a reception. Both men left the reception and subsequently entered a corridor in a private area of the House where they were stopped by a police officer," the statement said.
"One of the men became aggressive, resulting in his arrest. The man was taken to a central London police station, where he remains in custody." The police refused to comment on his identity.
A Conservative Party source quoted by the Guardian said those involved in the spat were journalists.
"We understand that three journalists who earlier in the evening had been at Eric Pickles' party left and at some point later on created some kind of disturbance. There was nothing in their behaviour earlier that suggested they would act like this."
