Why I saved that fallen protester, by Good Samaritan
Call for unity by Samaritan who rescued a ‘far-Right’ demonstrator
A HEROIC personal trainer who saved a suspected far- Right demonstrator as he was being attacked issued a stirring plea for racial harmony last night.
Patrick Hutchinson, 49, was hailed by MPs as representing ‘the best of human behaviour’ after he hauled the white man to safety over his shoulder as violence erupted across London.
The 6ft 1in grandfather had travelled to the capital to ‘keep the peace’ amid concerns that young anti-racism protesters could find themselves caught up in clashes with racist thugs.
After an image of his rescue mission was shared across the country and described as an act of compassion in the face of hatred, Mr Hutchinson said: ‘You just do what you got to do.’
His relatives told how Mr Hutchinson, who ‘would not hurt a fly’, responded by saying: ‘It’s not about black versus white, it’s everybody against racism’.
The incident emerged during a weekend of shameful violence as hundreds of football hooligans and neo-Nazis sought to interrupt anti-racism demonstrations.
In scenes described as ‘utterly shocking’ by Scotland Yard, thugs made Nazi salutes and taunted black people with racist abuse and obscene gestures just yards from Parliament.
Tensions erupted when large groups of anti-racism demonstrators began to hunt members of far- Right groups to take revenge. Dozens of people were seen setting upon an unidentified white man on a set of steps near London’s South Bank amid a frenzied atmosphere.
Mr Hutchinson, who quit a career as an IT consultant several years ago to become a personal trainer, described acting out of instinct after seeing the man being kicked, believing his ‘life was under threat’.
Accompanied by a group of friends who had travelled to the event to stop violence, he waded through the crowd and picked up the injured man.
Footage showed Mr Hutchinson, wearing gloves and face mask, with the man slumped over his shoulder as demonstrators tried to continue the assault.
He told Channel 4 News: ‘It was pretty hectic. It was almost like a stampede. I just thought, “Well, if he stays here he is not going to make it.”
‘So I just went under, scooped him up, put him on my shoulders and started marching towards the police, whilst all the guys were surrounding me and protecting me and the guy.’
Mr Hutchinson, from south London, reflected on the death of George Floyd at the hands of US police in Minneapolis last month, which inspired the antiracism protests across America and Britain.
He said: ‘ If the other three police officers had thought about intervening and stopping their colleague from doing what he was doing like what we did,
George Floyd would still be alive today.’
Mr Hutchinson, who has three daughters and supports the Black Lives Matter movement, said: ‘I just want equality – equality for all of us.
‘At the moment the scales are unfairly balanced and I want things to be fair, for my children and my grandchildren.’
His younger brother Don told the Daily Mail: ‘My brother is a big guy but even though he has the capability to hurt people, he wouldn’t hurt a fly.’
He added: ‘His first thought was that someone was in danger. He didn’t think, “Oh, this is a black guy or white guy.” He thought someone could die and I have to get involved.
‘He wouldn’t stand there and see someone kicked to death.’
‘Patrick just took it all in his stride. All he said is, “It’s not black versus white, it’s everybody against racism”.’
Don said he hoped his brother’s actions could help the country to heal, adding: ‘It is time that we all set our differences aside and learn to work together.’
He said he was relieved his brother was not mistaken as a ‘protagonist’ by police.
Labour MP David Lammy said: ‘It’s easy to focus on the worst instincts of human behaviour. But it is vital we also celebrate the best.’
There were further clashes between anti-racism protesters, police and far-Right thugs in Leeds last night.
More than 2,000 Black Lives Matter protesters took part in a peaceful demonstration but were charged at by yobs.
‘If he stays here he is not going to make it’