Protests over police attacks on journalists in Egypt

Press freedom campaign group Reporters Without Borders has condemned police violence against journalists covering Egypt’s street protests.

RWB says: "It is hard to establish exactly how many journalists have been arrested or physically attacked by police officers. According to the latest information obtained by Reporters Without Borders, more than a dozen journalists have been arrested.

"We urge the Egyptian authorities to allow journalists to work without fear of being arrested or attacked by those who are supposed to protect them. We also call for the immediate release of all the media workers still being held and an end to the blocking of communications. It is essential for the Egyptian people to have access to reliable information about the events of the past few days."

The Committee to Protect Journalists has also condemned the violence against journalists covering demonstrations in Egypt. It says plainclothes and uniformed security personnel have beaten at least 10 journalists. Egyptian authorities have also shut down the websites of two popular independent newspapers and a number of social media sites.

"We call on Cairo to bring to an immediate end all forms of violence against the media, release all detained journalists, and lift online censorship," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator.

• The International Federation of Journalists today accused security forces in Egypt of indiscriminate violence against journalists. Jim Boumelha, IFJ President, said: “Journalists, the world over, are appalled by the thuggery of Egypt’s state security officers and riot police, beating and arresting protesters as well as journalists and photographers in Cairo.”