Sturgeon condemns ‘disgraceful’ abuse of journalist by protesters
NICOLA STURGEON has labelled independence campaigners’ abuse of a journalist as “disgraceful”.
Protesters yelled at James Cook, the BBC’s Scotland Editor, as they demonstrated outside the Conservative hustings in Perth on Tuesday, with calls of “traitor”, “scumbag rat” and “liar” heard.
Yesterday, Scotland’s First Minister hit out at the independence backers who abused him.
“Hurling abuse at journalists is never acceptable,” the SNP politician tweeted. “Their job is vital to our democracy and it is important to report and scrutinise, not support any viewpoint.
“James Cook is a journalist of the highest quality and a total pro – the behaviour he was subjected to last night was disgraceful.”
Speaking to journalists yesterday, the First Minister said she would “condemn any abusive behaviour”.
“I’m not responsible for it, I wasn’t in Perth last night,” she added. “That wasn’t being done in my name – as far as I’m aware it wasn’t SNP members doing that. If SNP members behave in that way, appropriate action will be taken.”
She added: “I want to live in a democracy where we have these debates and settle them democratically, rather than be denied the opportunity to settle them democratically.”
She went on to say she hoped that leaders in other parties would be “equally quick to call out abuse when it is directed at people like me or my colleagues in the SNP or the independence movement”.
“All politicians who care about democracy should call out this behaviour, whether it’s on their side or on the other side,” she said. “It’s very easy to call out behaviour like this when it’s your opponents that you’re calling out – it’s harder to do when it’s people professing to be on your own side.”
When asked if SNP members should be suspended if they were found to be at the protest, the First Minister said she would not be drawn on hypotheticals. Meanwhile, Scottish Government minister Patrick Harvie said he supported the right to peacefully protest, but added that it had to be “peaceful and respectful”.