exclusive: A journalist covering protests in Southport, England, who was brutally attacked and robbed by demonstrators after three children were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event, says police initially refused requests to escort him to safety .
Jack Hadfield, a writer for Publica, told Fox News Digital that he was mobbed, had his phone charger stolen, was beaten and had a piece of his tooth knocked out of his mouth during Tuesday’s protests . Publica said in a statement that it abruptly ended its coverage of the protest to ensure Hadfield’s safety.
“I recovered well after the attack, although I’m still a bit shaken up,” he told Fox Digital News. “That certainly didn’t stop me from continuing to report on events on the ground, and I treated my broken teeth like battle scars!”
Hadfield said he arrived in Southport at about 5pm on Tuesday and shortly afterwards attended a vigil held in response to the killings of the three girls.
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Jack Hadfield said he was mobbed, had his phone charger stolen, was beaten and had his teeth smashed. (Public newspaper)
After the vigil, Hadfield went to St. Luke’s Road to cover a protest scheduled for 8 p.m. when the demonstrations turned violent, including a police car being burned and people throwing bricks at a mosque, he said.
Authorities set up two cordons around the mosque to separate the crowds, Hadfield said, noting that he moved back and forth between the crowds to record more protest footage.
Hadfield said he was walking east along Hawkshead Street towards St Luke’s Road. Around 10:40 p.m., a person who had overheard him talking to others earlier in the protest recognized him as a journalist and shouted that he should be attacked. That prompted him to start moving faster, he said, believing he was the only journalist still outside when he was discovered.
Hadfield said: “I was attacked by a man who repeatedly punched me in the head, face and body. “I started running further down the road to Hawkshead Street and St Luke’s At the intersection of the road, there was still a larger crowd, about a few hundred people.”
“At that time, I was surrounded by 10 to 15 men and I tried to explain to them that I did not belong to the mainstream media. They asked me to delete the images and videos on my phone, which I did,” he said, noting that he was later able to remove the recent Restore them from deleted folders.
He said someone then called and asked for his phone and someone tried to snatch it from him, but he refused and managed to keep his device.
Hadfield was pushed to the ground and struck again, knocking his glasses off his face. He said his phone charger was robbed and was taken from a portable power bank connected to his backpack.
After Hadfield grabbed his glasses and stood up, he “realized there was something in my mouth and I spat part of the tooth into my hand, but I didn’t realize it had been chipped away in the attack.”
He then ran towards the police cordon, which he said was approximately 50-100 meters, or approximately 55-109 yards, from St Luke’s Road. He said he lost a piece of his tooth while rushing toward the police line.
“While I was at the cordon, the police there were initially very unhelpful and told me that not only could they not help me, but that I couldn’t stay there,” Hadfield said. “The police initially directed me to go west, which is “I would be told to go back further into the protest area and say I couldn’t be escorted at all.”
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Jack Hadfield said he was recovering well after the attack but was still a bit shaken. (Public newspaper)
After staying for about 10 minutes, Hadfield was told the police line continued along St. Luke’s Road, so he walked in that direction.
“Officers who are further away from the crowd will be more helpful,” he said. “I couldn’t get an ambulance or a taxi to the hospital, so I had to stay at the police station for over two hours while a friend drove about 65 miles in the middle of the night to pick me up and escort me home safely.”
Police told Hadfield on Wednesday that a crime report had been filed in connection with the incident, but he said he remained skeptical about the consequences.
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Hadfield chose to receive treatment in Manchester, where he lives. A friend drove him to the emergency department at Manchester Royal Infirmary. After waiting for about two and a half hours, doctors saw him at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. Doctors determined he did not suffer a concussion or any other serious injury.
He had bruises on his hands and face, a bump on his head and a broken lip. He was also able to have his tooth repaired on Wednesday.
