A senior UK Labour politician has sparked fresh debate over press freedom and police conduct after tabling a parliamentary motion to condemn the controversial arrest of five journalists covering a pro-Palestinian protest in Leicester. The incident, which unfolded on October 8 outside the offices of UAV Tactical Systems — a local subsidiary of Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems — has drawn sharp criticism from political figures and media unions over allegations of excessive police force.
The five detained media workers included two reporters from the Leicester Gazette and two freelance journalists accredited by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ). According to the reporters’ accounts, they were taken into detention under Section 13 of the UK’s Terrorism Act despite explicitly showing official press credentials to multiple police officers at the scene. After holding the journalists for three hours and collecting their personal data, officers ultimately de-arrested the group without filing any charges.
John McDonnell, the veteran Labour politician behind the motion, formally labeled the arrests as unjustified police overreach in his Early Day Motion, tabled before UK Parliament last Thursday. He argued the incident poses a serious threat to the fundamental right of press freedom that underpins democratic society. Speaking to Middle East Eye, McDonnell emphasized that intimidating or detaining journalists simply for carrying out their professional work constitutes a clear violation of basic human rights, adding that such repressive actions have no place in a free democracy and cannot be accepted.
The National Union of Journalists has also joined the push for accountability over the incident. NUJ General Secretary Laura Davison confirmed the union has raised formal concerns with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, echoing McDonnell’s criticism of excessive police action. Davison noted that following the UK government’s recent official ban on the protest group Palestine Action, the union has repeatedly stressed that journalistic coverage of the group — including taking photos or video of protest placards — does not amount to criminal support for the organization.
In an official response to requests for comment, a spokesperson for Leicestershire Police defended the law enforcement action, explaining that the decision to detain all people at the protest site — including the journalists — was made to support a thorough investigation amid chaotic on-scene conditions and a large crowd. The spokesperson clarified that once officers interviewed the detained individuals, collected their details and confirmed no offenses had been committed, the journalists were immediately de-arrested and were never moved to police custody. Overall, police confirmed that 35 people were detained under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act during the protest, with just one individual facing additional arrest on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offense. All 35 detained people have since been released on conditional bail.
The incident comes amid growing tensions across the UK over protest policing, press freedom, and restrictions on pro-Palestinian advocacy following the government’s recent ban on Palestine Action, raising new questions about how law enforcement balances public order with protections for media and civil liberties.