At least five journalists were arrested while covering a protest outside UAV Tactical Systems in Leicester, a company linked to Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems. The demonstration took place on October 8, and the reporters said they had identified themselves to police as journalists.
The reporters included staff from the Leicester Gazette and freelance journalists. They were held for about three hours before being de-arrested after providing their personal details. Police said the journalists were not taken into custody after officers established that no offences had been committed by them.
Why the arrests drew concern
Leicestershire Police said 34 people were arrested under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 during the protest. The provision can apply to wearing or carrying an item in public that arouses reasonable suspicion of support for a proscribed organisation. Palestine Action was proscribed by the UK government in 2025.
The force said officers temporarily arrested people at the scene to carry out a thorough investigation because of the circumstances and number of people present. Press-freedom advocates and journalists’ representatives warned that arresting reporters for covering a demonstration could discourage independent reporting and create uncertainty about how the law applies to journalists.
The incident has intensified debate over the balance between enforcing counterterrorism laws and protecting the ability of reporters to document public protests. The journalists were released without being taken into police custody.
