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Tony Blair accused of war crimes by protester at Leveson inquiry Tony Blair accused of war crimes by protester at Leveson inquiry
(40 minutes later)
Lord Justice Leveson has ordered an investigation into security procedures at his inquiry into the media after a protester burst into the courtroom to shout at Tony Blair while the former prime minister gave evidence.Lord Justice Leveson has ordered an investigation into security procedures at his inquiry into the media after a protester burst into the courtroom to shout at Tony Blair while the former prime minister gave evidence.
The man, wearing a white shirt and chino trousers, entered from behind a curtain almost directly behind Leveson himself, inside court 73 at the Royal Courts of Justice. The man, wearing a white shirt and chino trousers, entered from behind a curtain almost directly behind Leveson himself, inside court 73 at the royal courts of justice.
The protester, later named as David Lawley-Wakelin, 49, shouted: "Excuse me. This man should be arrested for war crimes. JP Morgan paid him off for the Iraq war three months after we invaded Iraq. Then held up the Iraq bank for £20m. He was then paid $6m very year and still is by JP Morgan, six months after he left office The man is a war criminal." The protester, later named as David Lawley-Wakelin, 49, shouted: "Excuse me. This man should be arrested for war crimes. JP Morgan paid him off for the Iraq war three months after we invaded Iraq. Then held up the Iraq bank for £20m. He was then paid $6m very year, and still is, by JP Morgan, six months after he left office The man is a war criminal."
Several security guards tackled the man and dragged him away through the same door from which he entered. Several security guards tackled the man and dragged him away through the same door though which he had entered.
Leveson, appearing shocked, stood up from his seat to watch as the protester, was ejected. He asked the court how the man gained entry. "I'm sorry for that, Mr Blair," Leveson said. Leveson, appearing shocked, stood up from his seat to watch as the protester was ejected. He asked the court how the man had gained entry. "I'm sorry for that, Mr Blair," Leveson said.
"I'd like to find out how this gentlemen managed to access the court through what is supposed to be a secure corridor, and I'll have an investigation undertaken about that immediately." He ended: "I apologise.""I'd like to find out how this gentlemen managed to access the court through what is supposed to be a secure corridor, and I'll have an investigation undertaken about that immediately." He ended: "I apologise."
Blair, who sat impassively throughout the intrusion, sounded slightly shaken as he answered: "That's fine." He continued: "Can I just say, actually, on the record, what he said about Iraq and JP Morgan is completely and totally untrue. I've never had a conversation about that [Iraq]." Blair, who sat impassively throughout the intrusion, sounded slightly shaken as he answered: "That's fine." He continued: "Can I just say, actually, on the record: what he said about Iraq and JP Morgan is completely and totally untrue. I've never had a conversation about that [Iraq]."
Leveson told the former prime minister that he did not need to respond to the intruder's accusations.Leveson told the former prime minister that he did not need to respond to the intruder's accusations.
Blair replied: "I appreciate that, but part of the difficulty with modern politics, and this is not a criticism of the media, is that my experience of the reporting of these events is that you can have 1,000 people in a room and someone gets up and shouts or throws something, and that's the news. The other 999 might as well have not bothered turning up." Blair replied: "I appreciate that, but part of the difficulty with modern politics – and this is not a criticism of the media – is that my experience of the reporting of these events is that you can have 1,000 people in a room and someone gets up and shouts or throws something, and that's the news. The other 999 might as well have not bothered turning up."
As the protester was bundled away, he told reporters he was a freelance documentary fillm-maker who has made a 45-minute film entitled the Alternative Iraq Enquiry. As the protester was bundled away, he told reporters he was a freelance documentary fillmmaker who has made a 45-minute film entitled The Alternative Iraq Enquiry.
He has been in the spotlight before; on the BBC's on Question Time programme he once accused Blair of being a liar prepared to kill in the name of oil. He has been in the spotlight before: on the BBC's on Question Time programme he once accused Blair of being a liar prepared to kill for oil.
He breached a judge-only "secure corridor" and jumped into the courtroom. The judge's bench is only accessible to Leveson and his court staff and is normally only accessible using a swipe card. He breached a judge-only "secure corridor" and jumped into the courtroom. The judge's bench is accessible only to Leveson and his court staff, using a swipe card.
One uniformed police officer who had accompanied Blair in the witness seating area bounded past Robert Jay, lead counsel to the inquiry, to bundle him out of the court. Two other plain-clothed police offers who were part of Blair's party and sitting in the public inquiry quickly followed suit. One uniformed police officer, who had accompanied Blair in the witness seating area, bounded past Robert Jay, lead counsel to the inquiry, to bundle Lawley-Wakelin out of the court. Two other plainclothes police offers who were part of Blair's party and sitting in the public inquiry quickly followed suit.
The court service also had its own two security staff – one stationed inside court 73 and one outside sitting at the entrance used by the press and public. The court service also had its own two security staff – one stationed inside court 73 and one outside, sitting at the entrance used by the press and public.
The protester was taken by about a half a dozen security men to the east block of the high court and held in a secured zone, where he was detained until police arrived and arrested him. The protester was taken by about a half a dozen security men to the east block of the high court and held in a secure zone, where he was detained until police arrived and arrested him.
"He has been arrested on suspicion of breach of the peace," said a spokesman for Scotland Yard. "He is currently in custody at a central London police station," he added. "He has been arrested on suspicion of breach of the peace," said a spokesman for Scotland Yard. "He is currently in custody at a central London police station." Since leaving office in 2007, Blair has been regularly targeted by protesters over his central role in pushing for the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. In January last year, he was greeted by dozens of activists outside the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre in central London as he returned to give evidence to the Chilcot inquiry into the genesis of the conflict.
Since leaving office in 2007, Blair has been regularly targeted by protesters over his central role in pushing for the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. In January last year he was greeted by dozens of activists outside the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre in central London as he returned to give evidence to the Chilcot inquiry into the genesis of the conflict.