By Maha Ellawati.
Benghazi, 4 May 2013:
A female photojournalist was attacked in Benghazi yesterday by a group of men, some of whom . . .[restrict]were armed, during a peaceful protest against the pro-Political Isolation Law blockades at government ministries in Tripoli.
The group approached the journalist, Mabruka Almesmari, when she was taking photographs at the protest of some 150 people outside the Tibesti hotel. They shouted at her and pushed her roughly to the ground. When a friend tried to intervene, shots were apparently fired, dispersing the protestors.
No-one was hurt by the gunfire and the journalist did not sustain any injuries in the attack. Almesmari confirmed to the Libya Herald that the incident had taken place but declined to give further details.
The attack comes less than a week after Reporters Without Borders, the international NGO which promotes and defends freedom of press, expressed concern about recent attacks on journalists in Libya.
Under the slogan ‘Benghazi will never die’, the demonstrators were protesting against the aggression of militiamen in Tripoli. They were also calling on the local council to take action after two consecutive meetings to organise the march were attacked and broken up. [/restrict]
