The Palestinian journalists' association in Gaza on Sunday occupied the Palestinian legislative building and declared a boycott of several government ministries to protest a series of "mysterious attacks" on local reporters.
Tawfik Abu Khosa, chairman of the Gaza branch of the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate, asked the group's 300 members to join a sit-in at the legislative building on Sunday. Members were asked not to report on the Palestinian security services, and interior and justice ministries until the attackers are brought to justice.
Protesters marched into the empty building and occupied the vacant seats of the chairman and other members of the assembly.
"We are going to stay here in an open-ended sit-in until the officials listen to us and tell us about the latest in their investigation about the continuous assault against journalists" Abu Khosa said.
The group declared the protest after a wave of attacks on journalists, most recently the torching of the car of Munir Abu Rezk, the Gaza bureau chief of Al Hayat Al Jadida. It was unclear, however, why Abu Rezk, who wasn't hurt, had been targeted. His newspaper is owned by Nabil Amr, a former Palestinian Cabinet minister, and is close to the Palestinian Authority.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, furniture and equipment were destroyed at the offices of the independent weekly magazine al-Dar. In January, the Gaza correspondent of the al-Arabiya satellite channel was severely beaten shortly after he left his office.
It should be noted that no arrests have yet been made in any of the cases, and the targets have said they don't know why there were attacked. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
