British government slammed over arrest of journalists
Three reporters covering ‘Just Stop Oil’ demonstrations were detained last week | UK civil liberties organizations have demanded that Home Secretary Suella Braverman reconsider a controversial public order bill, after three journalists were arrested at ‘Just Stop Oil’ climate protests last week. ● The reporters were arrested last Tuesday whilst covering the blockage of the M25 motorway around London by activists from ‘Just Stop Oil’ – an anti-fossil fuel group responsible for vandalizing priceless works of art in recent months. LBC’s Charlotte Lynch, documentary filmmaker Rich Felgate, and photographer Tom Bowles were arrested while covering the demonstration, with Felgate capturing the moment of his and Bowles’ arrests. ● All three were subsequently released without charges. By the time ‘Just Stop Oil’ wound down their protest on Friday, 58 people had been charged, London’s Metropolitan Police stated. The demonstrations had been held in defiance of a court injunction. 💬 “Arresting journalists for simply attending a demonstration is unjustifiable, unlawful,” and contravenes the European Convention on Human Rights, the civil liberties groups wrote to Braverman. The groups, which include Big Brother Watch, Amnesty International, and Index on Censorship, condemned the use of a recent bill criminalizing acts causing “distress” or “annoyance” to make the arrests.