Police Scotland’s chief constable is being pressured to address an incident between police officers and a National journalist that happened at a protest in Glasgow.
An MSP has written to Chief Constable Jo Farrell after footage released by The National showed their journalist Xander Elliards being threatened with arrest by an officer.
Mr Elliards was covering a major protest which saw clashes between the police and protesters at the Thales site in Govan.
Now, MSP Maggie Chapman has written to Police Scotland regarding the ‘concerning interaction’.
Ms Chapman, who is also the Scottish Green Party’s parliamentary justice spokesperson, wrote the Chief Constable requesting urgent replies to her questions and posted it to social media.
She said: “Freedom of the Press is vital for a functional democracy.
“Our journalists must be able to cover important events.”
— Maggie Chapman MSP (@MaggieChapman) May 16, 2024
Her letter stated: "In light of this incident, I am seeking urgent replies from Police Scotland to the following questions:
“What measures have been put in place to ensure that police are protecting the right to free speech by protestors, and the freedom of the press?
“What training have the officers policing these protests received to ensure they are not violating the rights of individuals participating in protest or those of journalists reporting on the same in the public interest?
“What actions are being taken in relation to this incident and to wider concerns about the way in which this protest was policed?
“I look forward to hearing from you as a matter of urgency.”
Mr Elliards, who is the National's content editor, was standing roughly 100m from the demonstration when he was confronted by an officer who claimed he was being “obstructive to the police”.
During the confrontation recorded by Elliards – which took place in a public street – the officer claimed he didn’t have “free roam to go about protest sites” and suggested he could be arrested under Section 20 of the Police and Fire Reform Act.
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