{"id":3283,"date":"2021-02-09T18:59:49","date_gmt":"2021-02-09T18:59:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alanlodge.co.uk\/blog\/?p=3283"},"modified":"2021-02-09T18:59:49","modified_gmt":"2021-02-09T18:59:49","slug":"priti-patel-refuses-to-criticise-arrest-of-journalist-for-photographing-peaceful-asylum-centre-protest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alanlodge.co.uk\/blog\/archives\/3283","title":{"rendered":"Priti Patel refuses to criticise arrest of journalist for photographing peaceful asylum centre protest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/priti-patel\"><br>Priti Patel<\/a>&nbsp;has refused to criticise the arrest of a journalist for photographing a&nbsp;peaceful protest outside&nbsp;a&nbsp;controversial&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/asylum-centre\">asylum centre<\/a>, despite the case being dropped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Commons, the home secretary was urged to review police guidance&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/home-news\/journalist-arrest-napier-barracks-kent-andy-aitchison-b1798378.html\">following the detention of Andy Aitchison<\/a>&nbsp;and agree that he \u201cshould have a clean record as he has committed no offence\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, Ms Patel appeared to back the arrest \u2013 before claiming she could not comment further for legal reasons, even though the journalist will face no further action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAll decisions on arrests are an operational matter for the police, and the police make arrests in line with their duties to keep the peace and to protect the community,\u201d she told MPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Read more<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\u2018It\u2019s censorship\u2019: Journalist arrested after photographing protest outside controversial asylum camp\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static.independent.co.uk\/2021\/01\/29\/16\/napier%20kent%20protest.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/home-news\/journalist-photographer-asylum-camp-napier-barracks-andy-aitchison-b1794907.html\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/home-news\/journalist-photographer-asylum-camp-napier-barracks-andy-aitchison-b1794907.html\">\u2018It\u2019s censorship\u2019: Journalist arrested after photographing protest outside controversial asylum camp<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The arrest of Mr Aitchison,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/home-news\/journalist-photographer-asylum-camp-napier-barracks-andy-aitchison-b1794907.html\">first reported by&nbsp;<em>The Independent<\/em><\/a>, after he shared photos of the demonstration outside Napier military barracks in Kent, which now houses asylum seekers, sparked fears over press freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Protesters held up signs saying \u201cClose Napier now\u201d and \u201cPriti Patel There will be blood on your hands\u201d after at least 120 men at the barracks tested positive for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/covid-19-0\">Covid-19<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Six hours later, five police officers arrived at Mr Aitchison\u2019s nearby home and arrested him, in front of his children, on suspicion of criminal damage.<small><\/small><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A&nbsp;media freedom alert was filed with the Council of Europe and submissions have been made to the UN special rapporteur on human rights over Mr Aitchison\u2019s treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During Home Office questions, the Conservative MP&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/damian-collins\">Damian Collins<\/a>, who represents the constituency where Mr Aitchison lives, raised his case, highlighting how the photographer was \u201cheld for questioning for seven hours\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe police confiscated his mobile phone and photo camera card and last Friday the charges were dropped and case closed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He asked Ms Patel to \u201cagree there should be a review of the guidance given to the police before action like this is taken against accredited journalists\u201d \u2013 and that Mr Aitchison had \u201ccommitted no offence\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In reply, the home secretary said it was a matter for Kent Police, before claiming: \u201cI&#8217;m afraid, at this stage, that&#8217;s all I can say because an arrest has been made.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ducking the call for new guidance, she told Mr Collins: \u201cI have no doubt that Kent Police will continue to keep all interested parties, including my right honourable friend, updated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Read more<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Case dropped against journalist arrested after taking photos of protest outside controversial asylum camp\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static.independent.co.uk\/2021\/01\/29\/18\/newFile.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/home-news\/journalist-arrest-napier-barracks-kent-andy-aitchison-b1798378.html\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/home-news\/journalist-arrest-napier-barracks-kent-andy-aitchison-b1798378.html\">Case dropped against journalist arrested after taking photos of protest outside controversial asylum camp<\/a><\/li><li><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Priti Patel says government should have closed borders last March to stop coronavirus\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static.independent.co.uk\/2020\/12\/22\/12\/priti-patel.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/politics\/priti-patel-close-borders-coronavirus-travel-b1789926.html\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/politics\/priti-patel-close-borders-coronavirus-travel-b1789926.html\">Priti Patel says government should have closed borders last March to stop coronavirus<\/a><\/li><li><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Priti Patel accused of dodging parliament over police computer record loss\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static.independent.co.uk\/2021\/01\/18\/18\/newFile.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/politics\/priti-patel-police-data-parliament-b1789069.html\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/politics\/priti-patel-police-data-parliament-b1789069.html\">Priti Patel accused of dodging parliament over police computer record loss<\/a><\/li><li><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Lockdown: Priti Patel unable to define \u2018local\u2019 in tangled defence of Boris Johnson\u2019s bike ride\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static.independent.co.uk\/2021\/01\/14\/10\/newFile-6.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/politics\/priti-patel-schofield-willoughby-this-morning-b1787194.html\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/politics\/priti-patel-schofield-willoughby-this-morning-b1787194.html\">Lockdown: Priti Patel unable to define \u2018local\u2019 in tangled defence of Boris Johnson\u2019s bike ride<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr Aitchison told&nbsp;<em>The Independent<\/em>&nbsp;he was \u201cdisappointed\u201d by Ms Patel&#8217;s response and her refusal to commit to a \u201cmuch needed\u201d review of guidance for police in handling accredited journalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe does not seem to acknowledge the significance of my unlawful arrest.&nbsp;She seems to suggest that my arrest was in line with keeping the peace and protecting communities, which is obviously untrue as I was merely doing my job and documenting a peaceful protest,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am concerned that the wrongful arrest of journalists reporting on sensitive issues will continue. This seems to be a repetitive issue for many journalists, particularly photojournalists, and it has to stop. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe freedom to report seems even more pertinent during a lockdown where people are unable to move about freely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Criticism has been mounting about conditions at the Ministry of Defence site since it&nbsp;was&nbsp;repurposed in September for housing hundreds of asylum seekers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Residents have been&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/home-news\/asylum-seekers-coronavirus-napier-barracks-b1788902.html\">banned from leaving the camp since mid-January<\/a>&nbsp;because of&nbsp;the&nbsp;Covid outbreak, and the protest came before&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/home-news\/folkestone-napier-barracks-fire-today-asylum-seekers-b1794848.html\">a fire<\/a>&nbsp;that Ms Patel suggested was started deliberately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ian Murray, director of the Society of Editors, criticised the police action, saying: \u201cWe are constantly told journalists, including press photographers, are an essential part of our democratic system in this country and a free media is to be protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut words are not enough. It is actions that count and arresting press photographers is not something that should be happening in a liberal democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/politics\/priti-patel-journalist-asylum-centre-protest-b1799294.html\">https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/politics\/priti-patel-journalist-asylum-centre-protest-b1799294.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Priti Patel&nbsp;has refused to criticise the arrest of a journalist for photographing a&nbsp;peaceful protest outside&nbsp;a&nbsp;controversial&nbsp;asylum centre, despite the case being dropped. In the Commons, the home secretary was urged to review police guidance&nbsp;following the detention of Andy Aitchison&nbsp;and agree that &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/alanlodge.co.uk\/blog\/archives\/3283\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-1"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanlodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanlodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanlodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanlodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanlodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3283"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alanlodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3284,"href":"https:\/\/alanlodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3283\/revisions\/3284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanlodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanlodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanlodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}