United Kingdom: LBC Journalist Charlotte Lynch Arrested While Reporting On Just Stop Oil Protest
Location: Turkey United Kingdom, Hertfordshire
Date: November 8, 2022
Broadcast journalist Charlotte Lynch was arrested, searched, swabbed and jailed for five hours for covering the Just Stop Oil eco-protest on the M25 motorway on Tuesday. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the arrest of Charlotte Lynch and calls on the UK authorities to allow journalists to report freely.
On Tuesday, November 8, the M25 motorway in Hertfordshire, UK faced yet another Just Stop Oil protest causing great turmoil and huge delays. Protesters stormed the major road, which encircles most of Greater London, demanding that the UK Government end all new oil and gas usage. LBC’s broadcast journalist Charlotte Lynch was on location reporting on the disruption.
Lynch was handcuffed and arrested by Herts Police forces who were on the scene to halt the demonstrators despite showing her official press badge and standing on a public bridge overlooking the M25 between junction 20 (Abbots Langley) and junction 21 (M1/St Albans interchange).
The journalist described the incident and her experience under police custody as “absolutely terrifying” in a recent tweet and interview. She was jailed for five hours after clearly being identified as a reporter. She said that although she showed officers her press card and explained her reason for being at the scene, her phone was confiscated and she was arrested. Lynch added that she was searched before officers seized her devices and took her to Stevenage police station in a custody van. Lynch said she was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a public nuisance. Lynch added that she was treated as a criminal for merely doing her job. "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," said Lynch. Her arrest came after a photographer and a filmmaker said they were held in police custody for about 13 hours after being arrested while trying to cover the protests earlier this week.
After severe criticism on the arrest, and outpouring support for Lynch, Hertfordshire Police said it "recognises the concerns over the recent arrests of journalists" and is "requesting an independent force to examine our approach" to "identify any learning we should take" in such situations. The force added that additional measures were put in place to ensure that legitimate media are able to do their job. Hertfordshire's Chief Constable Charlie Hall said that they had made a request for another force to independently investigate Hertfordshire Police's approach to the protests.
The spokesman for the UK prime minister Rishi Sunak said he believed it was "vital journalists are able to do their job".
Lynch was released without further action. However, any action taken against journalists is an attack on free press and democracy. The Coalition For Women In Journalism extends its support to Charlotte Lynch and urges the authorities to support the role of responsible media as being the fundamental backbone of a just society.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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