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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| 'BBC van' rammed by armed police | |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| Police were forced to ram a van containing four BBC journalists after the driver allegedly failed to stop in County Donegal. | |
| It is understood the vehicle was not being driven by any of the journalists, who were investigating dissident republican activity. | |
| Heavily armed police arrested seven people at the scene. | |
| All of the journalists were released. Four other men arrested in a follow-up search are still being questioned. | |
| The arrests were made under Section 30 of the Republic's Offences Against the State Act. | The arrests were made under Section 30 of the Republic's Offences Against the State Act. |
| The BBC has said the journalists were working on a current affairs investigation and had full editorial authority under the BBC's guidelines. | The BBC has said the journalists were working on a current affairs investigation and had full editorial authority under the BBC's guidelines. |
| A spokeswoman said the other people present were fully aware that they were with BBC journalists. | A spokeswoman said the other people present were fully aware that they were with BBC journalists. |
| The men, aged between 30 and 48, who still are being held were taken into custody on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. | The men, aged between 30 and 48, who still are being held were taken into custody on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. |
| 'Forced to stop' | |
| BBC Northern Ireland home affairs correspondent Vincent Kearney said members of the Garda emergency response unit stopped a van containing seven people. | |
| "Four of those people were BBC journalists. The van, I understand, was not being driven by a member of BBC staff," he said. | |
| "I am told that initially the driver of the van refused to stop when ordered to do so. | |
| "The van was then forced to stop when it was rammed by a police car. Heavily armed police officers forced open the doors and arrested all seven men inside. | |
| "They were taken to three separate police stations and questioned under section 30 of the offences against the state act - the Republic's anti-terrorist legislation. | |
| "Shortly before midnight, the four BBC journalists were released without charge. | |
| "Three others arrested with them are still being held, as are four other men who were arrested in a follow-up operation yesterday afternoon." | |
| The men can be held for 72 hours, after which they have to be released or charged. |