Western Australia's Police Commissioner has defended the actions of officers who repeatedly stopped a Pilbara-based journalist and seized a camera memory card in connection with recent protest action at Woodside's AGM.
Police searched the home of reporter Eliza Kloser, who works for Roebourne-based Ngaarda Media, last Friday, in connection with charges against her housemate and colleague Gerard Mazza.
Mr Mazza is one of two people charged over allegedly attempting to set off a "stench bomb" and flares during energy company Woodside's annual general meeting in Perth last week.
The protest action is allegedly linked to the Disrupt Burrup campaign against the industrial development of the Burrup Peninsula by Woodside and other groups.
Ms Kloser said she was completely unaware of Mr Mazza's actions and had nothing to do with the protest action.
"They went through my entire room, my clothes, looked under my pillows — everything," Ms Kloser said.
"I asked if I could take photos or film and they told me I couldn't.
"They were asking me questions about [the Woodside incident] but there was nothing I could tell them because I didn't know."
She said the search involved eight to 10 local police and detectives, and continued for approximately an hour and a half.
Officers removed an SD card belonging to Ms Kloser from the property, containing photos she had taken of ongoing construction work at Perdaman's proposed multi-billion-dollar fertiliser plant on the Burrup Peninsula.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the SD card had since been returned to Ms Kloser, and rejected suggestions police had targeted her personally.
"The warrant was specifically in relation to two individuals who have been identified and charged with taking a noxious gas and flares into the [Perth] exhibition centre," Mr Blanch said.
"We were investigating that as a crime, and the search warrant was in relation to that crime.
"We don't consider people's status of employment when investigating crimes. We're looking for evidence that we have to provide before a court."
Two police stops
Ms Kloser said the search wasn't her only encounter with police on the day.
She said she had been approached by police while photographing the works at the Perdaman site, believed to be the relocation of key pieces of rock art, as part of her work for Ngaarda.
She identified herself as a journalist and explained what she was doing, but was stopped again by police after leaving the area and driving back to Karratha.
"They asked about my camera, what I was doing and what I was taking photographs of," Ms Kloser said.
"They did a full road safety standard check, looked at my spare tyre and looked in the car."
In statements, Ngaarda Media and the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) said they were deeply concerned by the incident.
Ngaarda chief executive Tangiora Hinaki said the organisation had no prior knowledge of Mr Mazza's actions and he attended the Woodside protest in a personal capacity.
"We wish to express our support to [Ms Kloser], who had no prior knowledge of the alleged event," she said.
"The memory card contained material obtained during the course of her journalistic work for Ngaarda Media … we are concerned about the distress this has caused our colleague."
MEAA Media Director Cassie Derrick said police had urgent questions to answer.
"Police have seized and retained property on what appear to be questionable grounds," she said.
"We are calling for the WA police minister to investigate the behaviour of police in these cases, and publicly report the outcome of these investigations."
Commissioner says he'll look into traffic stops
Mr Blanch said he regarded the earlier traffic stops and the search warrant as "two separate issues", but said he would look into the earlier incidents.
"There are no offences for taking photos in a public place, that's not a crime," he said.
But he said it would not be unusual for officers to check and re-check a report of suspicious behaviour.
"If we are investigating a journalist for journalistic reasons, that is very serious and would probably be elevated to me as commissioner for additional consideration," Mr Blanch said.
"That is not the case here. We are investigating an entirely different crime."
He said search warrants could be "traumatic" for people unconnected to investigations caught up in them, with officers aiming to complete them in the most careful and compassionate way possible.
