Blair: I'm sorry, Walter

Ian Craig in Brighton

September 29, 2005

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OUT: Walter is manhandled out of the hall.

TONY BLAIR today said "Sorry," to pensioner Walter Wolfgang, the 82-year-old anti-war protester manhandled out of the Labour Conference.

The Prime Minister accepted that party stewards had been "overzealous" when they dragged Mr Wolfgang out of the Brighton Conference Hall when he heckled Foreign Secretary Jack Straw over Iraq.

He said in a TV interview: "It's an unfortunate thing that has happened. The Labour Party apologised to him, the chairman has apologised and I have apologised to him. It shouldn't have happened."

Mr Wolfgang is a veteran activist who fled Nazi Germany as a Jewish refugee to make Britain his home. He volunteered to fight for his adopted country in the RAF but was unable to serve because of a physical condition.

Heckled

He joined the Labour Party and even stood as an election candidate, but when Jack Straw turned to the subject of Iraq in his keynote speech it was too much to stomach and Mr Wolfgang, wearing a Ban-the-Bomb badge, shouted "nonsense".

Red-faced Labour officials have invited him to return to the conference and Mr Blair was forced to repeat his apology in a series of TV interview today.

He said: "The stewards are volunteers and it's difficult with someone interrupting someone's speech. But it should be handled sensitively, particularly with an elderly person. We will have to make sure training is better.

"I've been heckled but I'm really sorry about what happened to Walter and I have apologised to him."

He insisted that free speech was not being stifled. "People are perfectly entitled to freedom of speech in our country and we should celebrate that fact."

Overzealous

He said: "The stewards do a very good job but this time they were a little bit overzealous. I have issued a full apology to him and I'm sorry.

"We'll obviously have to make sure in the future when that happens and somebody is elderly it is handled sensitively."

But Mr Blair won't be giving Mr Wolfgang a personal apology. He said: "I'm sure I'm not going to meet Walter. There's no need to. I can just offer him my apology."

Mr Blair was asked why Mr Wolfgang had been arrested by police using anti-terror laws. The Prime Minister said he had been thrown out of the hall and they had to check the situation.

"I'm sure the police didn't think he was a terrorist," he said.

Would you accept Tony Blair's apology? Have your say.

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VAL, Fallowfield, Manchester (29/09/2005 at 13:33)

What disgraceful treatment of a pensioner who's been a Labour member since before many cabinet ministers were even born!
Labour conference is coming to Manchester next year, but frankly I doubt if most people would want them in our city!

david davis, scotland (29/09/2005 at 13:42)

Ton Blair and Labour have said the were going to be hard on THUGS
We all saw THUGS in action on television last night at the Labour Party Conference.
Come on then Tony and all your cohorts - lets see some action against those THUGS.

Tony Blair is a jerk, chicago,il (29/09/2005 at 13:49)

Tony Blair is nothing more than Bush's dumber brother of England.

Jon Piper, Denver, Colorado (29/09/2005 at 13:57)

This appears to be PR disaster control because Mr Wolfgang was elderly. But if he interrupted the meeting continually he should have been removed.

moslih, manchester (29/09/2005 at 14:00)

No No No No

Klaus Kleiner, Scotland (29/09/2005 at 14:01)

Blair ia a phonie, Walter should not accept the apology.

Mark, Philadelphia, PA (29/09/2005 at 14:02)

No, I would not accept his apologies. They were not sincere.

choffan, modena italy (29/09/2005 at 14:02)

Hello, in Italy media wouldn't give any attention to matter like this becouse are too frequents.
I live in a awful country ruled by awful thief.

Ed Moran, Devon (29/09/2005 at 14:03)

It's official: Britain is now a "Police State". If you don't believe me ask Wolfgang.

napolean, idaho (29/09/2005 at 14:03)

Heck yes I would

CA, Cambridge, MA USA (29/09/2005 at 14:03)

I would absolutely accept Mr. Blair's apology, if I was Mr. Wolfgang.

Walter was removed in a manner that an elderly person should not be. Especially one that is known for his activism and is no real threat.

More power to Walter for continuing to be active (at 82 years young) in voicing his beliefs.

I'm happy to read that apologies were made publically. Although, it would have been a great moment if Mr. Blair actually met with Mr. Wolfgang to deliver his apology personally (as well as publically).

Kudos to Mr. Blair. Blessings to Mr. Wolfgang.

Bernie Woiwod, Australia (29/09/2005 at 14:05)

Certainly not good enough.
What has hapened to Labor when they even think of throwing someone out for heckling.
Did he only apologize because of the age of Wlater.
Would it have been different he he had been 50 years.
Anti terrorist police.
What next.

Matthew Brown, Covington, Kentucky USA (29/09/2005 at 14:05)

Apologies do not undo what was done, so Mr. Wolfgang should not accept Blair's apology. It is probably insincere, and just an attempt at damage control anyway.

I am just glad those brownshirts didn't break that poor old man's hip. It seems that in the US and the UK, people have forgotten that politicians are public servants, not the public's masters.

Mike Stone, Greeneville Tennessee (29/09/2005 at 14:06)

Mr Wolfgang should have first been warned to be quiet. On his second outburst he should have been evicted from the premises. WHAT NONSENSE to have to endure heckling from ANYONE EVER! be it from communist, capitalist, Christian, hedonist! How did it ever become a 'right' to heckle? Heckling is rude, disruptive, uncivilized and counterproductive to the aims and goals of any meeting for any purpose. A right to objection? ABSOLUTELY, via heckling? absolutely NOT. One last thing lest there be any confusion on my motives, I am not jewish but I most certainly am a jewish sypathizer - none-the-less Mr Wolfgang was rightfully tossed. Mr Blair should not have appologized.

Burnley Wilkins, Massachusetts, USA (29/09/2005 at 14:06)

Sometimes saying "I am sorry" is just not enough. I say bring the stewards responsible for this unfortunate event charges for assault.

Jesse Christopherson, Washington, D.C. (29/09/2005 at 14:08)

Would I accept Blair's apology? Yes, with a polite smile. But then I'd point out to him that if he thinks it's ok to use overbroad anti-terrorism laws against non-terrorists, he's part of the problem. And I'd tell him to expect me among his hecklers in the future.

Charles Barr, Edinburgh (29/09/2005 at 14:08)

Being roughed up and ejected for not agreeing with a speach made at a party conference? It could be Nurenburg 1938. Ironic that Mr Wolfgang fled this sort of behaviour 60 odd years ago.

Fred Oldham, Stalybridge (29/09/2005 at 14:16)

Ths just about sums up this political totalitarianism of today.
The days of free speech are over when an old man is prevented from hecling not only by large oversized thugs but then by the prevention of terrorism act, which will be used by the police again and again in the future to curtail what should be the democratic right of any person to protest to a political party

Gary, Longsight (29/09/2005 at 14:21)

You are all totally over-reacting. He certainly shouldn't be allowed to attend future conferences- he needs to control his temper.

David Bibby, Newcastle upon Tyne (29/09/2005 at 14:22)

Tony Blair & his cronies should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. What sort of people are they that an 80 year old cannot peacefully express his opinion on Iraq (an opinion probably shared with the vast majority of the electorate) without being assaulted by thugs parading as stewards. It is a shame Blair is not as keen on democracy in the UK as he is in Iraq

Clive Hall, Hemel Hempstead Herts (29/09/2005 at 14:30)

When you introduce anti terrorist legislation you expect it to be used for the purposes intended. The detention of Walter Wolfgang yesterday by the police, albeit temporary, is a warning to everyone how such legislation can and will be abused.

Rich Mechaber, Strafford, NH, USA (29/09/2005 at 14:36)

For all of Britain's disgust with Mr. Blair's doggie-devotion to George Bush, you should be proud of a leader who has the onions to publicly apologize for a mistaken suppression of free speech. Our President, by contrast, routinely and aggressively screens attendees at all of his functions to eliminate having to personally face public opposition, debate, and dissent.

Ben Ware, Knoxville, TN (29/09/2005 at 14:43)

Heckling is most certainly a part of ree speech, please don't think that all Tennesseans are so ignorant as to say that some types of speech, like heckling, are not "free". Too many people in all of the USA think that freedoms are great, but only when they agree with what they think, which equates to no real freedom at all!

Things are no different in the USA, except here they are worse, they would be no apologies. But hell no, do not accept his apology, he should make a stink about how ridiculous this situation is! Here the press would not talk about it because they are too cowed to the Republican party, be glad they speak out there!

Richard Lloyd Johnson, Rockledge, Fl, USA (29/09/2005 at 14:51)

Hell No!

Mr Angry, Reading, Berkshire (29/09/2005 at 14:59)

I think this just highlights the governments complete disregard for those who have served a lifetime of supporting this country both financially and with great risk to their own lives while protecting our nation during conflict. They seem to have forgotten that they would be speaking German if it wasn't for our war veterans. They should listen to the publics comments, but they don't, because they are too busy living their luxurious lifestyles courtesy of the tax payer, and what thanks does the taxpayer get in return? Spin, lies and the enforsed removal of the most basic of their civil rights, i.e. freedom of speech. Mr Straw should be FORCED, to apologise in person to Mr Wolfgang and so should Mr Blair. I think it would only be fair for them to do so purely based on the fact that they have bullies in their collection of idiots for security staff who are prepared to manhandle a frail, elderly gentleman because he has a voice. I'd like to get Mr Blair and Mr Straw in a boxing ring and see how they like being bullied. I would show no compassion for their weaknesses and I would make them suffer their anguish without ears to hear their pleas for mercy, giving them a taste of the medicine they force-feed our long suffering pensioners. Unfortunately, Like most vile, dispicable, greedy and gutless politicians, they simply don't have the balls or common decency. Yet again, our great government has bitten the hand that feeds it.

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