WATCH: MPs from all parties rally round Anna Soubry after she is called a 'Nazi' by protesters
2 min read
MPs from across the political divide have backed Anna Soubry after she was called a "Nazi" by protesters on live television.
The Conservative MP was being interviewed on the BBC News channel when a crowd began chanting: "Soubry is a Nazi."
Breaking off from the interview, the Remain-backing Tory said: "I do object to being called a Nazi, actually. I just think this is astonishing. This is what has happened to our country, but let's try and move on and be positive about things."
Presenter Simon McCoy apologised to any viewers who may have been offended by the chants.
Video footage later emerged of the small crowd of apparently Leave supporters who had been directing the chants in the Broxtowe MP's direction.
The same men then confronted the MP as she made her way to Parliament, at one point calling her a "fascist".
Afterwards, Ms Soubry tweeted: "Apparently MPs & politicians are meant to accept it as part of the democratic process. I fail to see why journalists and technicians should be subjected to the same abuse & intimidation as the police stand by and do nothing. They tried to stop me getting into Parliament."
Responding to the incident, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said: "The Prime Minister has been very clear that anybody involved in the political process shouldn't be subjected to abuse or harassment. They should be free to do their job without fear of intimidation."
Other MPs rallied round Ms Soubry on Twitter.
Labour backbencher David Lammy said: "This abuse of a pro-EU MP is not only appalling, it is historically illiterate. European integration was forged out of our continent's desire to reject the tyranny of fascism and Nazism after the second world war. 'Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.'
Fellow Labour MP Liz Kendall said: "Truly awful. Britain is better than this."
Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner tweeted: "What has our Country come to when watching @BBCNews all you can hear is chants from protesters calling @Anna_Soubry a Nazi - how disgusting and offensive - they do their causes no good!"
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