Police arrest activist journalist at Steyr gathering

A freelance journalist was arrested at a gathering in Steyr on Sunday, ORF reported. Michael Bonvalot says police acted unlawfully and plans to take legal action. Upper Austria’s police directorate says he repeatedly ignored orders and officers feared the situation could escalate.

Bonvalot, an activist from Vienna, said he was covering a gathering that grew out of the so-called coronavirus walks. He said some participants recognised and crowded him, after which police told him to leave the immediate vicinity.

In a video posted on social media, Bonvalot said the gathering’s organiser had objected to his presence. He refused to leave, saying that doing so would restrict journalistic reporting. He said officers later removed him using a painful hold, warned him not to approach the gathering again and eventually arrested him. He said he spent several hours in a Steyr jail.

Bonvalot told the APA news agency that he was taken to a cell but was never questioned. Police confirmed his arrest and detention, saying they had acted to prevent a disturbance of public order. Their account says officers issued several warnings before ordering him away from the immediate area. Police said he could have continued reporting from farther away and that other media workers covered the gathering without disrupting the operation.

Police said Bonvalot ignored the order and approached the gathering again before he was arrested. His detention lasted several hours because he had disregarded official instructions; police said detention can last up to 24 hours. The force is also examining an allegation that he assaulted the officer in charge. It said the operation was recorded on body cameras and that it plans to file a report against him. Bonvalot denies the allegations.

Police said they support both the protection of lawful gatherings and media freedom, but added that journalists must comply with official orders. It said officers first seek to resolve conflicts through dialogue and de-escalation, and use measures restricting freedom only when other options are insufficient.