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JVL apologises over alleged assault on journalist
LBC political editor Theo Usherwood said anti-Zionist activist Tony Greenstein snatched his phone away in incident
September 27, 2021 15:33
LBC political editor Theo Usherwood said anti-Zionist activist Tony Greenstein snatched his phone away in incident
September 27, 2021 15:33Jewish Voice for Labour has apologised “unreservedly” after LBC political editor Theo Usherwood was allegedly assaulted at its Labour conference fringe event on Sunday.
Mr Usherwood accused expelled Labour member and anti-Zionist activist Tony Greenstein of having assaulted him and grabbed his phone at the event in Brighton.
He also said he had been forcibly removed but later allowed back in.
The LBC journalist had on Sunday said he had been falsely accused of attempting to record former shadow chancellor John McDonnell before the incident.
An eyewitness - journalist Tanya Gold - reported that Mr Usherwood had been “attacked” and that his exit was met with “applause.”
JVL said on Monday that “the physical intervention to stop him was not carried out by a member of JVL or with our authority.”
It said: “Physical force was not appropriate and JVL apologises unreservedly to the journalist.
The group, which had on Sunday accused Mr Usherwood of attempting to record the event without permission, also said it had security concerns, though they did “not excuse what took place.”
“JVL officers apologised to the journalist at the time and are writing to his employers LBC.”
JVL’s co-chair Leah Levane was, meanwhile, “expelled from Labour overnight and thrown out of conference this morning,” the group said at the weekend.
The expulsion related to her comment that the “Party has been cynically abusing antisemitism issues not to protect Jews but to make Labour a socialist free zone.”