There is outrage from across the world of politics, policing and the media tonight after an LBC radio journalist suffered a "terrifying" five hours in a police cell when she was arrested while covering the Just Stop Oil M25 protest.
LBC Reporter Charlotte Lynch was reporting from a road bridge over junction 21 of the M25 in Hertfordshire after activists blocked the major motorway yesterday morning.
While working, she said she was approached and questioned by two police officers who handcuffed her even though she showed them her press card and explained she was reporting on the demonstration.
Ms Lynch said officers searched her on the side of the road, took her phone and arrested her on conspiracy to commit a public nuisance.
She was placed in the back of a police van on her own and the journey took over an hour due to the M25 being closed.
Sharing her experience, the reporter said: "Got to Stevenage police station, that journey took over an hour because of the M25 being closed.
"I was in the back of a police van, handcuffed, my hands were in front of me, handcuffed the entire time, on my own, the two police officers were behind the glass cage.
"That's when it dawned on me 'gosh, I could be charged here' and everything runs through your mind 'have I actually committed this offence?' even though I knew I hadn't.
"We got to the police station and I thought I'll answer their questions and I'll be on my way."
Ms Lynch said she was then taken to a cell and detained for five hours before officers released her with no further action.
She said officers wanted to know how the journalist knew about the protest.
Ms Lynch said: "It was absolutely terrifying being in a cell with a pad for a bed in one corner and a metal toilet in the other.
"I was just doing my job. What's also terrifying is what this means for press freedom. It was blindingly obvious I was a reporter."
The incident happened a day after a photographer and filmmaker said they were held in police custody for around 13 hours for covering a protest staged by Just Stop Oil.
Documentary maker Rich Felgate and photographer Tom Bowles had been capturing the activists on a footbridge over the M25 near Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, around 11am on Monday when they were handcuffed.
The pair, both of whom say they have no affiliation with the protest group, had their equipment seized and were taken to a police station, despite efforts to show their press cards.
Mr Bowles, 47, from Hackney, east London, said he was held until 1.30am, hours after his wife and 14-year-old daughter were woken up as three officers searched their home.
A number of officials have spoken out about the journalists' arrests, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who joined police chiefs in calling for press freedom.
Mr Sunak said it is "vital" that journalists are able to do their job freely, "without restriction", as the chief constable of Hertfordshire Police called for a review into the arrests.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "I am cautious about commenting on specific incidents. Operational decisions are a matter for the police but the Prime Minister strongly believes in championing press freedoms.
"We wouldn't want to see those freedoms impeded while journalists are going about their day-to-day business".
Liberal Democrat MP Daisy Cooper said Home Secretary Suella Braverman should be summoned to the Commons to explain and apologise for the treatment of journalists covering protests.
She told MPs: "I was utterly appalled to see LBC journalist Charlotte Lynch being arrested by Hertfordshire Police yesterday whilst covering the Just Stop Oil protests on the M25 in my constituency whilst other journalists were also detained covering separate similar protests in Hertfordshire."
The MP added: "I have written to Hertfordshire Police today and they have now put out a statement. They've said they've requested an independent force to examine their approach to identify some learnings and they've taken some additional measures. In other words 'nothing to see here'.
"We are not an authoritarian state. The ability of journalists to do their job unhindered is a vital part of our democracy.
"So given the severity of these incidents and the fact that Parliament is going into recess tomorrow, could you please give me some advice, Mr Deputy Speaker, as to how the House may be able to summon the Home Secretary to this place for her to give a statement offering an explanation, an apology and a reassurance that this will never happen again?"
Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans said he had not received any indication from Ms Braverman that she intended to make a statement to the House of Commons.
Speaking to journalists at a conference in Westminster on Wednesday, the chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council, Martin Hewitt, said officers are under pressure when dealing with protesters but media should not be prevented from reporting on them.
He said: "There's an enormous amount of pressure in play around those protest issues for the reasons that you would understand.
"But, of course, there is a right for journalists to go and report on those occasions and that shouldn't be prevented in any way."
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: "Press freedom is really important and you will often want to be - and quite rightly be - quite close to where difficult things are happening so you can report it well and I absolutely, absolutely support that.
"The principle that you're going to be close to the action sometimes and we should be sensitive to press freedom, of course I completely agree with."
Hertfordshire Police said it recognises "concerns" over the arrests of journalists, but said it's officers have been told to "act as quickly as they can".
In a statement, the force said: "The M25 protesters are causing significant disruption and potential harm to hundreds of thousands of people and taking police resources away from keeping the people of Hertfordshire safe.
"Motorways are very dangerous places and our priority is to ensure public safety as well as the safety of officers and protestors.
"The awful incident in Essex today where an officer has been injured underlines this.
"Our officers are facing very challenging circumstances and have been instructed to act as quickly as they can, using their professional judgement, to clear any possible protestors in order to get roads up and running and to prevent anyone from coming to harm.
"However, Chief Constable Charlie Hall recognises the concerns over the recent arrests of journalists who arrived at these locations and have been present with the protestors at the scenes. Additional measures are now in place to ensure that legitimate media are able to do their job.
"In addition, Mr Hall is today requesting an independent force to examine our approach to these arrests and to identify any learning we should take in managing these challenging situations."
Dawn Alford, executive director of the Society of Editors, said she strongly condemned the arrests of journalists.
The Society is deeply concerned by reports this week of a number of journalists being arrested while reporting on protests by the campaign group Just Stop Oil," she said.
"The protests are a source of legitimate public interest and journalists, filmmakers and photographers have a right to attend protests and report on behalf of the public.
"We strongly condemn the arrest of journalists in the course of their work and will be writing to Hertfordshire Police to seek an urgent explanation and seek assurances that its officers respect the rights of journalists and understand that such actions threaten press freedom."
Former shadow attorney general Baroness Shami Chakrabarti said if police arrest journalist, they are "shutting down the free press in the UK".
She told LBC: "If the police are now going to start arresting journalists for conspiracy to commit a public nuisance - in other words for knowing that a demonstration is about to take place - then they are effectively shutting down the free press, the free media, in this country.
"And that means the public don't get the opportunity to judge for themselves whether the police have policed a particular demonstration well or badly, or indeed whether the protesters behaved well or badly. So this is very, very serious."
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan also said: "Journalists shouldn't get arrested for doing their job."
Conservative MP for Boston and Skegness, Matt Warman, said on Twitter : "It's extremely hard to understand why the police would arrest a journalist. I hope a fuller explanation or an apology is provided very rapidly."
Hertfordshire Police added: "As always, our priority remains to ensure public safety - we have a responsibility for the health and safety of all those involved and everyone at the scene, including emergency services, members of the public, members of the press and the protesters themselves.
"These operations are very fluid and fast moving, with the potential to cause widespread and sustained disruption, that not only affects Hertfordshire's stretch of the M25 but also the wider road networks.
"Our officers have been instructed to act as quickly as they can, using their professional judgment, to clear any possible protesters in order to get roads up and running and to prevent anyone from coming to harm."
