Journo covering student demo arrested

THE EDITOR of London Student (LS) Oscar Webb - a freelance and a full NUJ member - was arrested during student protests in the area around Senate House, the Bloomsbury headquarters of the University of London in December. Oscar was photographing a 4 December "Cops of Campus" protest for LS, the newspaper for University of London students.

Following an hour-long kettling near Euston Square station "to prevent a breach of the peace," Oscar was handcuffed and bundled into a police van, after showing police his NUJ Press Card.

A video still on the website of LS clearly shows Oscar holding up his NUJ Press Card, surrounded by police, "whilst being arrested", according to the caption.

The Freelance has since been in touch with Oscar, who is on pre-charge bail with a date for an appearance in March. He has already met with the NUJ's Legal Officer. Oscar said his original bail conditions forbade him from attending any protests or demonstrations anywhere around the University campus, which would have prevented him doing his job, but the conditions have since been changed, specifically to allow him to cover demonstrations as a journalist.

Oscar was among 36 arrested on that day's protests, which followed an occupation of Senate House the previous day. The University has since obtained a High Court injunction banning "occupational protests" until June this year. Watch this space for possible updates.

© Matt Salusbury