This is the moment a security guard tackles a protestor to the ground

Shocking footage has emerged of a security guard wrestling a protestor to the ground, putting his full body weight on him and grabbing him by the throat.

New video appears to show a hired guard flattening a far smaller demonstrator onto the pavement outside the Charles Stewart House occupation.

Environmental activists took over the Edinburgh’s finance building a week ago after uni chiefs refused to divest from fossil fuels — and just now the protest has turned sour.

Watch the moment a student from People & Planet Edinburgh is taken down by a hulking security guard.

The outsourced guard appears to search the student before tackling him to the ground.

He lies on the floored student, grabbing him by the throat as the guard’s trousers fall down his waist.

The guard is then led away by a colleague.

A hired guard grabs a student by the throat

The guard’s trousers fall off his waist

A spokesperson for People & Planet said: “All we are trying to do is peacefully picket the building.

“We are calling on the University to make good on their commitment to ‘support the right of all students to protest’ by immediately getting rid of the violent thugs they’ve hired to explicitly stop us from doing that.”

They added: “We were warned in advance that [the new security company] ‘weren’t like the others’ and wouldn’t hesitate to ‘batter’ us.”

After contacting the security company, People & Planet Edinburgh and said they had apologise for the events and check if any occupies wanted any support.

A uni spokesperson said: “The University takes allegations of this nature very seriously and would always investigate them.

“There are policies and procedures in place with regard to issues relating to equality, diversity, dignity and respect and we expect all members of the University community, as well as any external contractors which the University employs, to adhere to them.”

Managing Director Scott Robertson of Pro-Tect Security Services, one of the security companies the uni are contracting, said he was aware of the issues that have arisen, but declined to comment further.

A uni spokesperson added: “The University is aware of, and deeply regrets, the unfortunate incident that is currently being played on social media.

“The matter is now in the hands of the police.

“We continue to support the right of students to peacefully and lawfully demonstrate and the University is using private security outside its buildings in Chambers Street in order to secure the safety of staff and students during the occupation.

“We are constantly reviewing our security arrangements to make sure that they are appropriate to the circumstances in what is an evolving situation.”

The uni refused to comment on whether the company responsible are continuing to be paid and contracted.

They did not say how much they are forking out to employ the security team nor how much the occupation is costing the uni.

The occupation has recently aligned itself with an anti-Israeli movement, Boycott, Divest and Sanctions.

After a meeting held on Monday, occupiers said: “We agreed our support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against the Israeli human rights’ abuses and occupation in Palestine, and so we’d really ask people to not bring any food from Israel.”

The occupation continues into its 9th day.

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