POLICE SCOTLAND have failed to apologise after a National journalist was threatened with arrest by an officer.
Responding to a letter from Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman, who expressed concern over the incident, Police Scotland superintendent Steven Meikle said the video circulating on social media of the incident didn’t capture the “earlier or precursor activities of the journalist”.
Xander Elliards was covering a major protest last week which saw clashes between the police and protesters at the Thales site in Govan.
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.
🗣️'Let's have a selfie, big man. Are you still not going to take a direction from a constable in uniform?' NEW: A journalist at The National was threatened with arrest by a police officer while attempting to cover a major protest outside a Glasgow arms factory Full video 👇 pic.twitter.com/0ldFLmORit
— The National (@ScotNational) May 15, 2024
At one stage, Elliards (above) was grabbed by the officer who then suggested “let’s get a selfie, big man” before asking him to move around the corner.
Chapman, as well as legal experts and journalists, voiced concern over the interaction after a video was posted to social media.
In response to Chapman’s letter, superintendent Steven Meikle said Police Scotland “fully recognises journalists are entitled to access public property, stand outside a cordon to report on events or to carry out their duties”.
When referring specifically to the incident, however, Meikle admitted no wrongdoing on the part of the officer involved and didn’t apologise for the incident.
“The police officer concerned engaged with a journalist and asked him to move away from an area where officers were taking part in an operational briefing,” he said.
“Officers provided advice and guidance and no further action was taken.”
Meikle then said that the video Elliards captured only the “advice and guidance given by the police officer” but not the “earlier or precursor activities of the journalist which led to that engagement”.
“Following the incident, the officer involved was provided with guidance around maintaining the correct tone and style during interactions with the public,” the senior officer added.
Elliards said the response was “all I expected” from the police.
“It does not engage with the real issues here, let alone read as an apology,” he added.
“One of their senior officers at the protest was intimidatory and heavy-handed to the point of manhandling me. They claim this was ‘providing advice and guidance’.
“The police letter also states there were ‘earlier/precursor activities of the journalist which led to that engagement’ – but noticeably fails to mention what these were.”
Elliards said that the clear implication of the response is that he bears “some blame for their officer’s actions”.
“I could not refute that more strongly,” he added.
“The video is clear. It was the first interaction I had had with the officer. He approached me from a distance, and continued to approach me as I moved away. He misrepresented the law, either knowingly or in ignorance. I cannot say which would be worse.
“Frankly, this letter has done nothing to address the concerns around policing which have been raised to me by many in the media after the incident and I will be considering whether to take further action.”
Police Scotland have been approached for further comment.
