{"id":126959,"date":"2014-06-30T18:24:38","date_gmt":"2014-06-30T18:24:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/?p=126959"},"modified":"2014-06-30T18:24:38","modified_gmt":"2014-06-30T18:24:38","slug":"uk-journalist-threatened-arrest-terrorism-act-filming-protest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/media-news\/uk-journalist-threatened-arrest-terrorism-act-filming-protest\/","title":{"rendered":"UK journalist threatened with arrest under Terrorism Act for filming protest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Harvey Thompson<\/em><\/p>\n

A reporter for local daily Sheffield newspaper, the\u00a0Sheffield Star<\/em>, was threatened with arrest under the Terrorism Act on June 23, as he attempted to film a protest against cuts to concessionary travel passes for pensioners and disabled people.<\/p>\n

The protest ended with the violent arrest of two pensioners.<\/p>\n

Alex Evans from the\u00a0Sheffield Star<\/em>\u00a0was at the city\u2019s train station filming the protest on his mobile phone when he was ordered by a member of Northern Rail\u2019s Rail Response Unit to delete his footage. The response unit cited the Terrorism Act as their legal authority.<\/p>\n

When Evans tried to film for a second time, the rail official repeated the threat, again citing the Terrorism Act, and took the reporter\u2019s personal details. The official said the journalist was engaged in an \u201carrestable offence\u201d and that he could face a fine and a criminal record.<\/p>\n

George Arthur, aged 64, and Tony Nuttall, aged 65, were arrested after transport police and Northern Rail security staff confronted around 45 protesters following the latest in a series of \u201cFreedom Rides\u201d\u2013named after US civil rights actions\u2013in opposition to changes to the system of free rail travel in South Yorkshire. The previous rail concessionary scheme was cut as part of austerity measures to reduce a \u00a3243,000 shortfall in the budget of South Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority.<\/p>\n

A number of commuters managed to film as Arthur and Nuttall were handcuffed, arrested and bundled away. The two men have since been charged with failure to pay, and obstructing police and are to appear at Sheffield Magistrates\u2019 Court. The\u00a0Independent<\/em>\u00a0newspaper commented, \u201cDisabled and elderly campaigners have vowed to continue their protests against the removal of travel concessions after claiming they were victims of \u2018thuggish\u2019 behaviour by police and security staff during Monday\u2019s demonstration against the cuts.<\/p>\n

\u201cProtesters\u2013including a blind woman who was taken to hospital after being injured when she fell over a wheelchair\u2013said they suffered cuts and bruises as a result of being \u2018manhandled\u2019 in clashes with British Transport Police and members of Northern Rail\u2019s rail response team.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother man collapsed and was taken to hospital while a 70-year-old protester was nearly knocked onto the tracks during the melee.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jen Dunstan of Sheffield Disabled People Against the Cuts said, \u201cDozens of elderly and disabled people have been left with bruising. Some have cuts where their skin has broken from being pushed and shoved.<\/p>\n

\u201cA placid and calm gentleman was roughly manhandled. I am angry and shocked. The police are meant to protect elderly people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yorkshire Ambulance Service was called after one protester passed out with breathing difficulties on the platform.<\/p>\n

Evans later said, \u201cI felt intimidated when threatened under terrorism laws. I know that ordinarily I would need permission, but this was an extraordinary situation and in my view, one which was my duty and in the public interest to report on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Sheffield Star<\/em>\u00a0\u2019s editor, James Mitchinson, described what happened to the reporter as \u201cabsolutely unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a right to report the news, and the\u00a0Star<\/em>\u00a0will always fight for that right. Our readers expect nothing less. But this case illustrates just how difficult it can be to report the news, on the spot when, increasingly, authorities are seeking to \u2018manage\u2019 it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re well aware that Sheffield Station is, like all stations, technically private property, and ordinarily we\u2019d need to seek permission to film there.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut this wasn\u2019t a PR stunt, it was an extraordinary event that couldn\u2019t have been predicted and it was very much in the public interest that people were made aware of what was going on. As the local paper and website that\u2019s our job, and it\u2019s a job that people expect us to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, Northern Rail issued an apology to the\u00a0Sheffield Star<\/em>\u00a0reporter. A company spokeswoman confirmed that the official who approached Evans was a member of one of its rail response teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know the officer in question was incorrect to delete the phone footage,\u201d she said, \u201cand we are re-briefing our Rail Response Team to ensure this does not happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Previously, the company had said, \u201cMembers of the media must have written permission from the train operator which manages the station before undertaking any filming on station property. Under no circumstances are Northern Rail employees to be filmed without prior agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Tuesday night, Martyn Guiver, Northern Rail\u2019s head of crime management, called Evans to apologise and said he would speak to the person responsible\u2013a security officer contracted to Northern Rail.<\/p>\n

The incident illustrates a growing trend in which the police and state have employed, or sought to employ the Terrorism Act and other reactionary legislation in a variety of instances that have nothing to do with terrorism.<\/p>\n