Associated Press photographer Khalil Hamra (left) take cover as he works during clashes in Cairo, Egypt. -- PHOTO: AP
CAIRO - FOREIGN journalists were beaten with sticks and fists by pro-government mobs on Thursday, and dozens were detained by security forces during the ongoing crisis in Egypt.
The United States condemned what it called the 'systematic targeting' of the reporters, photographers and film crews who have brought searing images of Egyptian protests to the world.
Foreign photographers reported attacks by supporters of President Hosni Mubarak near Tahrir Square - the scene of vicious battles between Mubarak supporters and protesters over the past day. Protesters have been demanding he step down after nearly 30 years in power.
The Egyptian government has accused media outlets of being sympathetic to protesters who want Mubarak to quit now, rather than complete his term as he has pledged.
Among the many detained were correspondents for The New York Times, Washington Post and Al-Jazeera. The Committee to Protect Journalists said late Thursday that in just the past 24 hours, it had recorded 24 detentions of journalists, 21 assaults and five cases in which equipment was seized. The attacks on journalists have 'intensified to levels unseen in Egypt's modern history,' said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator.
'This is a dark day for Egypt and a dark day for journalism,' said Joel Simon, the group's executive director. 'Egypt is seeking to create an information vacuum that puts it in the company of the world's worst oppressors.' -- AP
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