UK MP John McDonnell raises 'alarm' about arrest of journalists at Palestine Action protest
Labour politician John McDonnell has tabled a motion in the UK parliament expressing "alarm" about the arrests of five journalists at a Palestine Action protest in Leicester last week.
The move comes after Middle East Eye reported that the journalists were arrested on 8 October under the Terrorism Act while covering a demonstration outside UAV Tactical Systems in Leicester, a subsidiary of the Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems.
The journalists, including two Leicester Gazette reporters and two union-accredited freelancers, said they had been arrested under Section 13 and detained for three hours before they were de-arrested after handing over their personal information.
This was despite the reporters having already identified themselves with their press credentials to multiple officers.
McDonnell on Thursday tabled the Early Day Motion that denounced the arrests as "police overreach", constituting "a deeply concerning threat to the basic right of journalists to undertake the vital role they play in our democracy".
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He told MEE that the arrests are a "repressive measure that cannot be tolerated".
"Journalists have a vital role to play in our society and it is a breach of basic human rights that they are arrested and intimidated in this way simply for doing their job," he added.
Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, said the union is "concerned" by reports of the arrests and has written to the National Police Chiefs' Council "over concerns of police overreach".
Davison said that, following the government's ban on Palestine Action, the union had emphasised that "covering protests and taking photographs or videos of the group's placards does not in and of itself constitute support for the group".
A Leicestershire Police spokesperson told MEE in response to a request for comment that: "A number of people identifying themselves as journalists were at the scene of protest activity on Thursday 8 October in Meridian Way, Braunstone.
"To affect a thorough investigation, due to the circumstances and number of people at the scene, everyone was placed under arrest and told to remain in the area," the spokesperson said.
"Once these individuals had been spoken to, details provided to officers and it was established that no offences had been committed, they were de-arrested," they said, adding that those arrested had not been taken into custody.
The police issued a statement confirming that a total of 35 people had been arrested under Section 13, with one person "further arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order", and taken into police custody.
The police added that all 35 have been released on conditional bail.
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