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Reporter confronts UKIP supporter who branded PM a ‘traitor’
Faisal Islam addresses a UKIP supporter on Sky News for shouting "treason" about the PM. Photograph: Sky News. - Credit: Archant
A political report broke away from his usual political reporting to address a UKIP supporter who shouted 'treason' about the prime minister on camera during a live report.
Faisal Islam on Sky News was explaining to Kay Burley what had happened in the latest cabinet meeting, when the Brexiteers protesting on Westminster started to shout behind the reporter.
As his report finished he called for the presenter to allow him more time to ask the protester wearing a UKIP badge why he was shouting 'treason' behind him.
'Why did you just shout 'treason'? How is that helpful?' asked Islam.
The protester claimed that Theresa May was 'acting against the interests of the country', before telling the reporter to 'look it up in the dictionary, it's what it means'.
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The reporter was irritated and bemused, pondering how it was helpful 'shouting names at the prime minister' when she was 'trying to find solutions'.
He said: 'You may disagree with that, but why do you shout treason?'
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The campaigner claimed it was 'because she's a traitor' before resorting to saying that 'the truth hurts' and that it was his 'right' in a 'free country' to be able to make those comments.
Islam did not disagree he had a right to have a difference of opinion, but could not understand how everyone who had a different opinion to the campaigner could be considered 'traitors'.
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The protester continued: 'She's working against the interests of this country. Have you noticed how much more comfortable she is in Europe with her friends in Brussels? How she's more comfortable in Europe compared with the place over the road?'
The reporter said he had not noticed it that, before handing the feed back to the presenter on Downing Street.
Apologising to Burley, he explained that it had 'become quite normal using that language' and wanted to see why the protesters 'feel it was OK to call politicians traitors and use terms like treason'.
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