Tag Archives: Yasser

It comes just one day after an RT cameraman and otherjournalists were attacked outside the headquarters by Brotherhoodsupporters.Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of the capital Sundayafternoon, chanting slogans against President Mohamed Morsi and theIslamist group from which he hails.Some of the then were holding banners which read, “Down withBrotherhood rule.”The demonstration turned violent after a group of protesterstried to break through security forces which were guarding thegroup’s headquarters. Officers used teargas to disperse the crowds,while protesters set tires on fire in the street.The newly elected head of the Journalists’ Syndicate, DiaaRashwan, condemned the attacks and called on Brotherhood SupremeGuide Mohamed Badie to apologize. He also urged Egyptian PresidentMohamed Morsi to condemn the assaults.Rashwan did not rule out that the violence against journalistshad been carried out under orders from the Muslim Brotherhood’sleaders; the reporters were covering a meeting between BrotherhoodSupreme Guide Mohamed Badie and Hamas leader KhaledMeshaal.At the same time, Brotherhood spokesperson Yasser Mehrez, hasdenied that his members intentionally attacked thejournalists.”Clashes erupted because some people tried to break into theBrotherhood’s headquarters. The young members of the Brotherhooddid not intend to assault journalists or anyone else,” AhramOnline quoted Mehrez as saying. “Everybody has freedom ofexpression and the right to protest, but insults and sabotage areunacceptable.”The Muslim Brotherhood insisted that guards outside theheadquarters were provoked and insulted by the activists andjournalists. Reporters said the assault took place after activistssprayed anti-Brotherhood graffiti on the ground outside theheadquarters; Brotherhood guards retaliated with sticks andchains.RT’s Mohammad Moukhtar, cameraman for the Arabic department, wasamong the crowd of journalists filming the activists drawinggraffiti. He sustained a head injury while he was trying to protecthis camera as a gang of men armed with sticks and knives attacked agroup of activists and journalists. Despite Mohammad’s efforts,RT’s camera was broken and stolen. The latest violence against journalists comes amid unceasingunrest in Egypt, with anti-government protests being staged in thecapital Cairo and across the entire country.Sunday’s protests at the Journalists’ Syndicate in downtownCairo was the first of three demonstrations the journalists plan tohold. They will gather at the prosecutor-general’s office onTuesday, and outside of the Brotherhood’s headquarters onWednesday. … Read More