Holding a press card does not put you above the law.
If the police are instructed through the command chain, or officers on the ground so assess, they are entirely right to arrest whoever they believe it is appropriate,
On validating a journalists credentials and confirming their presence was to report and not participate, they should be released immediately.
As the police priority was understandably to control the demo, it is unsurprising that release of journalists took a little time - no doubt made more difficult by reductions in police numbers.
The point at which their actions reflect those of a police state is opaque - but this incident does not evidence the line has been crossed (IMHO).
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