Leicester police ‘blanket arrest’ journalists under Terrorism Act for covering protest at Israeli drone factory

Leicester police have arrested five journalists under the Terrorism Act while they were covering a protest at an Israeli-owned drone factory, according to multiple sources. The journalists, including two Leicester Gazette reporters and two union-accredited freelancers, were reporting on a demonstration outside UAV Tactical Systems in Leicester on October 8th.

The protest, organized by the Palestine Action group, was covered peacefully until police intervened and arrested all the participants. The journalists claim that they were "blanket arrested" under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act and detained for three hours before being released after providing their personal information. The police spokesperson stated that everyone was placed under arrest and told to remain in the area for thorough investigation.

Police conduct has set a worrying precedent, according to the journalists, who no longer feel safe reporting on such events.