NUJ protests against ruling on Drumcree footage

The National Union of Journalists in Ireland has lodged a protest against a court ruling yesterday ordering UTV and the BBC to hand over video footage taken at Drumcree earlier this month.

The order was made after police applied for the footage under the Criminal Evidence Act.

The judge said videos of the violence at Drumcree could be of substantial value to the police, but the NUJ said the order will put cameramen and reporters at risk.

Both UTV and the BBC have also expressed disappointment at the ruling, saying it turns camera crews and journalists into information gatherers for the authorities and could leave them open to attack.