How Long Will the 'Siege of Chiswick Business Park' Last?
Office workers speak out about the security measures at the development
A police presence remains a constant in the office development
How Long Will the ‘Siege of Chiswick Business Park’ Last?
Office workers speak out about the security measures at the development
Concern is growing among office workers in the Chiswick Business Park development about the security measures that have been implemented there over the last few weeks.
Barriers have been placed around all entrances with vehicles checked on arrival and people entering the complex have to walk through scanners. Armoured police vehicles maintain a constant presence and the building containing the offices of Iran International TV has been surrounding by high fencing and concrete blocks leading to people working there describing it as being like a ‘siege’. Regular patrols by police with dogs are taking place.
Most employees of firms in the building appear to be supportive of the moves by police to increase security after intelligence indicated that there was an elevated threat to staff at Iran International TV. However, some are now questioning if the development can remain an attractive place to work if these measures are sustained for a longer period and if the hosting of broadcasters allegedly transmitting propaganda is a good mix for other firms based there.
Although, there is total condemnation of threats against staff of Iran International with most people also supporting their editorial line which is very critical of the Islamic Republic, some of their neighbours are uncomfortable with the alleged role of the Saudi royal court in funding the station through a company called Volant Media as a means of furthering its rivalry with the Iranian regime.
One person working in the business park said, “Although many people here often mocked the ‘Enjoy Work’ corporate fluff about working in the development, there was no doubt that it used to be a very pleasant place to be based. The hollowing out after Covid had undermined that to a significant extent but it was in the process of recovering and what has been happening recently is a huge setback. People are visibly more subdued.
“Our bosses have told us that the situation won’t last for too long as Volant Media were planning to move even before this happened but there is scepticism here that they will be able to find new premises in their current circumstances. It will just be moving the problem elsewhere.
“The concern has to be that as long as the situation persists, my employer and all the other firms in the development are going to have ongoing recruitment issues and difficulty in getting existing staff to come into the office. If this ‘siege’ persists then many will be looking at the terms of their lease.”
Another worker at the development said, “I grew up in Northern Ireland so this situation is quite triggering for me. I used to love going into work but now the very act of walking to the office is more stressful. The protests in Iran against the Islamic Republic have my 100% backing but the presence of Iran International here is quite a complex issue and I don’t think the rights and wrongs are clear cut. There is a broader issue of whether making the park a centre of excellence for propaganda stations owned by authoritarian regimes works against the interests of the other businesses working there.”
Barriers at the Chiswick High Road entrance are now permanently manned
The multi-role armoured Jankel vehicles first appeared at the site on 19 November after the police decided to act on information about a credible threat provided by the security services. Since then, high metal fencing and concrete Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) obstacles have been placed around the building which is occupied by Volant Media the owner of Iran International TV.
An armoured police van at Chiswick Business Park. Picture: Iran International TV
On 16 November, the head of MI5 Ken McCallum stated that Iran this year had prepared to assassinate or kidnap at least ten British citizens it deems to be ‘enemy of the regime’.
Iran’s charge d’affaires Mehdi Hosseini Matin was subsequently summoned by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly who told him that ‘any form of intimidation’ against British-based journalists would not be permitted.
A representative for the Met Police stated, "Those affected have been given the proper advice and support, and a variety of precautionary security measures have been implemented to minimise these threats.
“These include the deployment of openly armed police officers in the neighbourhood of the west London offices of a Persian-language media company established in the United Kingdom, however we will not go into further detail.”
The Iranian government have long sought to target its critics in overseas media and reports suggest that one of the reasons that Nazanin-Zaghari Ratcliffe was detained was due to a misunderstanding about her association with the current general manager of Iran International TV.
She worked briefly for a BBC's international development charity, while Mahmood Enayat was employed by the BBC Persian service. Her husband has said that the Iranian security services tried to pressure her into spying on him in return for being granted freedom.
Most of the buildings in the development are owned by an investment arm of the Chinese government and the site also hosts China Global Television Network (CGTN) which is effectively a state-owned broadcaster. Some workers in neighbouring firms believe its presence complicates the position with Iran International TV and fear that the offices could become a focus for protests. OFCOM has withdrawn the station’s licence to broadcast to the UK, but it still produces programmes for other countries. The station’s content does not mention the ongoing unrest in China. OFCOM is likely to get authority to regulate content generate for streaming on the internet which may give it further powers to limit the output of the station from Chiswick.
At the same time the French broadcast regulator is being lobbied to block the broadcasts from Chiswick. When Ofcom revoked its UK licence, CGTN the station was able to apply to the regulator in France, CSA, because of a contract it has held since 2016 with the French satellite company Eutelsat.
Peter Dahlin, from Safeguard Defenders, the NGO which successfully lobbied OFCOM for licence withdrawal, is using the same arguments with the French.
He said, “We believe the French CSA, its regulator, needs to take responsibility for its failure to safeguard pan-European airwaves and launch a formal investigation into the allegations which have led other regulators to take action.
“Due to the system in Europe, despite having lost its license to air in the UK, CGTN is now using its French equivalent to continue airing across Europe.
“This is even more important as both CCTV and CGTN are being used extensively to justify mass incarcerations of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region, which may amount to crimes against humanity.”
CGTN is also facing losing its broadcast licence in Canada after the regulator there said it had significant concerns about control being exercise by the Chinese Communist Party.
A barrier has been placed at the Bollo Lane entrance to the north of the development
Police this week held the first major live-play exercise carried out by the Met since March 2022 at vacant offices near Heathrow simulating a terrorist attack on a live event. It is not believed that the timing relates to what has been happening at Chiswick Business Park.
Commander Adelekan added: “The overall terrorism threat level in the UK remains at ‘substantial’. We know that we cannot afford to let up in our efforts to prevent or thwart terrorist attacks, and equally, to be fully prepared to respond should one happen. I am extremely grateful for the support Heathrow airport has given us by once again, allowing the use of their building.
“This work is vitally important for all of us, including the public, who have a really important role to play by remaining vigilant. Please do get in touch if you see or hear anything that doesn’t feel right. You won’t ruin anybody’s life by doing so, but you could just help save lives.”
The Met has advised Chiswick residents and people working in the business park not to be unduly concerned but to remain vigilant and report anything that doesn't look or feel right to them by calling 0800 789 321 or call 999 if it is an emergency.
Enjoy Work, the company which manages the estate, was asked to confirm whether Iran International TV was in the process of moving out and they declined to comment.
We contacted the Iranian embassy in London and asked if it could offer assurances about the safety of all the people working in Chiswick Business Park but it has not yet responded.
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