Arrest of Leicester journalists

This House expresses its alarm at the arrest of journalists under the Terrorism Act, including two Leicester Gazette reporters and two union-accredited freelancers, who were covering a demonstration outside UAV Tactical Systems in Leicester, a subsidiary of the Israeli arms manufacturer, Elbit Systems on 8 October 2026; notes that the journalists had been blanket arrested under Section 13 and detained by police for three hours before they were de-arrested after handing over their personal information, despite the reporters having already identified themselves with their press credentials to multiple officers; and considers this police overreach to be a deeply concerning threat to the basic right of journalists to undertake the vital role they play in UK democracy.