Press freedom 1 – Police 0

On 4 August about 700 people tried to set light to a Holiday Inn housing people seeking asylum in Rotherham, chanting “Get them out.” They threw bottles and chairs, and clashed with the police.

Right at the centre of this shocking violence was the photojournalist Joel Goodman, reporting on the story,  as he does every day. But this time, something was different: the police demanded he hand over his photos. 

It’s dangerous enough to stand in an angry crowd and take pictures – Joel has been stalked, assaulted and even sent death threats just for doing his job. But if people think all your photos will wind up in police files, it could be lethal.

Every journalist has the right to work in the knowledge that freedom of speech will protect them if the state tries to put them at risk. As Joel says, journalists “work for newspapers, not the police”.  So we supported him in the fight against this rash challenge. And he won. South Yorkshire Police has dropped its claim. 

“I am extremely grateful for the support of the Good Law Project who, when they learned of my situation, stepped in and offered to meet all my costs. Without their generous and timely intervention, I would have been left weighing up the costs rather than the merits of my case, in deciding how to defend my professional ethics.”

Our democracy depends on our freedom of speech – our chance to challenge the coercive power of the state when it steps out of line. Together we can stand up for our rights, and make sure our voices are heard.