During yesterday, the filmmaker Markus Jordö was on the motorway near the southern link in Stockholm to film part of a documentary about the dialogue police, which is a co-production with SVT.

There were several environmental rights activists at the scene who blocked the road.  

When the police arrived at the scene, they decided to intervene and began to carry away the activists one by one, which Markus Jordö filmed from a distance to document.

The police then chose to also arrest Markus Jordö and another foreign photographer. 

- When we said that we had the right to be there and that we were happy to remove ourselves immediately, they said that it didn't matter.

Then we sat along the side of the road, so all the motorists who drove by thought it was me and the other journalist who had caused the blockade, says Markus Jordö.  

They later had their equipment confiscated and were taken to the police station, where Markus Jordö was detained for over six hours.  

- I have worked as a filmmaker and journalist for twenty years and have never experienced anything like this. 

"Of course it's very unfortunate"

The case is the third in a short time when journalists have been arrested while on duty.

In July, an SVT reporter was arrested when he was filming the police station in Rinkeby for a television feature, and in June two journalists were arrested when they were also documenting a climate action.  

- Of course, we think it is very unfortunate that it is a journalist who has been arrested during an ongoing investigative mission, but an investigative mission does not give the right to participate in criminal activity, says Ola Österling, press spokesperson for the police in Stockholm.

Must act more clearly in the places

The police believe that those involved in the southern link were collectively guilty of the criminal classification of sabotage, which is why Markus Jordö should also be arrested.  

- We think it is unfortunate that we have received criticism, but we have an obligation to intervene against those who commit crimes and in this case it is the 19 who sat down on the road.

Participating journalists must behave a little more clearly at the locations.

We will need to communicate better from both sides.

Markus Jordö believes that the police never asked any questions about what they did at the scene when they were arrested.

- They assumed we were activists.

And when we claimed we were journalists, and the other cameraman showed the press kit, they completely ignored it.