Concern as police ‘blanket arrest’ journalists under Terrorism Act for covering Israeli drone factory protest
"It sets a worrying precedent that journalists are being arrested for doing their jobs"
Police “blanket arrested” at least five journalists at a protest at an Israeli-owned drone factory in Leicester last week.
As reported by the Middle East Eye, two of the reporters were from the Leicester Gazette and two were union-accredited freelancers.
The group of journalists were covering a protest outside UAV Tactical Systems in Leicester on 8 October.
UAV Tactical Systems is a subsidiary company of Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer.
Protesters held signs which expressed support for direct action group Palestine Action, which is now a terrorist offence since Labour proscribed the organisation in July 2025.
Labour has faced widespread criticism for proscribing the group, and in particular for people being arrested for holding “I oppose the genocide, I support Palestine Action” signs and wearing t-shirts in support of the group.
The arrest of journalists is an unprecedented development in the enforcement of the ban. The police reportedly arrested everyone in the vicinity of the protest and subsequently de-arrested individuals on a case-by-case basis.
Emma Guy, Leicester Gazette editor, told Middle East Eye that police detained the journalists for three hours, and that they were de-arrested after handing over their personal information.
This is despite the reporters having identified themselves to multiple officers.
The journalists were arrested under Section 13 of the Terrorist Act for supporting a proscribed organisation.
Former government lawyer and spokesperson for the campaign group Defend Our Juries, Tim Crosland, said: “There is no legal basis for police to demand members of the public provide them with personal information generally, and definitely not as a pre-condition for ‘de-arrest’”.
“Such oppressive and intimidatory police conduct is characteristic of a police state, not policing by consent,” he added.
Guy said that as Leicester Gazette reporters are local to the Elbit site, they have repeatedly reported on protests there, and that there has never been an issue before.
She said: “This is concerning for us as a small newsroom. Like many others, we don’t go to work thinking that we’ll be arrested under the Terrorism Act. It sets a worrying precedent that journalists are being arrested for doing their jobs.”
Laura Davison, the general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, said that union is “concerned” by reports of the arrests and has written to the National Police Chiefs’ Council “over concerns of police overreach”.
A Leicestershire police spokesperson told MEE that the force had arrested everyone at the scene “to affect a thorough investigation”.
The spokesperson said: “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.
“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.”
The spokesperson added that those who were de-arrested were not taken into police custody.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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