Anderson Cooper and Other Journalists Attacked in Cairo

Anderson Cooper and Other Journalists Attacked in Cairo

For days now, the media has been closely following the situation in Cairo in which protesters against the regime of President Hosni Mubarak have taken to the streets in dramatic fashion. While the protests began somewhat peaceful, over the days the level of violence has escalated. Most recently, when a group of pro-government supporters joined the streets in opposition to the other group, a clash of violence erupted.

Anderson Cooper is one of many U.S. and foreign journalists who has been on the scene in Egypt reporting on the situation. Yesterday, Anderson and his crew apparently got too close to the situation as they were attacked with rocks, fists, and debris by some of the government supporters.

According to reports, journalists from the BBC and ABC News, along with CNN, have also been beaten, and some even detained, by Mubarak supporters who accused them of being spies.

Mohamed Abdel Dayem, the committee’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator feels that the attacks are part of an effort by the Egyptian government to eliminate any witnesses to their actions. “The government has resorted to blanket censorship, intimidation and, today, a series of deliberate attacks on journalists carried out by pro-government mobs,” said Abdel Dayem.