Police commit to act if activists attempt to stop journalists working
Senior London Metropolitan Police officers have provided reassurances to the NUJ ahead of the Football Lads Against Grooming Gangs demonstration on 28 June.
If police witness stewards, or anyone else, obstructing journalists at work, or physically contacting media workers, they will intervene. That clear commitment came from senior London Metropolitan Police officers, at a meeting with NUJ officials to discuss possible issues on the Football Lads Against Grooming Gangs demonstration, advertised for Saturday 28 June.
The union meets regularly with Met Police representatives to discuss how public order issues impact journalists’ ability to report. At this meeting, the NUJ raised instances of demonstrator appointed stewards at some events physically intervening to control photographers’ and other journalists and seek to impede or prevent their access. At recent hearings at Westminster Magistrates Court, for example, people associated with Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) were apparently allowed to push photographers to one side as people entered the building.
David Ayrton, NUJ senior organiser, who had requested the meeting, said:
“I am grateful for this reassurance from the police. Of course, we recognise that in a fluid public order situation, events can unfold quickly and police prioritisation is necessarily fluid. Any journalists covering this event can be reassured that all officers will have been briefed on their responsibly to seek to ensure that journalists are able to do their work.”
If issues do arise at the event, please inform the NUJ’s freelance office at [email protected]