Yesterday I got arrested whilst filming a @JustStop_Oil supporter holding a banner on the pavement near the coronation route. I'm a filmmaker and had my @bectu press accreditation visible around my neck.
Police deemed this to be "conspiracy to commit a public nuisance".
After police stopped me filming, they ripped my press pass off and handcuffed me behind my back.
Even before this protester held this banner up, myself and 4 protesters were surrounded by police and stop and searched to look for "articles to commit criminal damage". They didn't find anything.
Police proceeded to arrest us for "conspiracy to commit public nuisance" under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. I was held in police custody for 18 hours and "released under investigation".
Yesterday, myself, a documentary filmmaker and @tomsdinner, a press photographer, got arrested by @HertsPolice whilst filming the @JustStopOil protest from a public footbridge over the #M25.
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Police had no interest in seeing press ID and handcuffed us instantly on arrival. They said they needed to search me for items which could be used to commit criminal damage. Obviously, they found nothing, so an officer said “just arrest them for conspiracy instead then”.
We were held in custody for about 13 hours and were questioned by the police, who tried to get me to reveal my journalistic sources and give them the pin to my phone. Tom's house also got searched by police and they took his daughter's iPad.