In France, since the beginning of the demonstrations and riots following the killing of a 17-year-old teenager by police, several journalists have been physically attacked by rioters. Obviously, the authorities cannot ensure the safe operation of the media, Report informs with reference to the French newspaper Le Figaro.
"They were attacked because they wanted to do their job. At least a dozen journalists were attacked this Saturday during the overnight riots that followed Noel's death, including two members of the Le Figaro editorial staff," the paper said in an article.
As the newspaper explains, because they took a photo or covered the events taking place there, the journalists were attacked by groups of young rioters, insulted or molested. Some even had to go to the emergency room for stitches.
Two Le Figaro journalists were attacked on the night of June 29/30 while covering riots in Paris. One of them was beaten and robbed in Nanterre. In the same place, another journalist, Corentin Fohlen, a photographer for Liberation, was brutally attacked... A photographer for Point was also attacked on Thursday evening. According to the newspaper, the man suffered a "knee injury and multiple bruises" after being beaten by a dozen people.
Local journalists were not the only victims of physical attacks: "A journalist from the Qatari channel Al-Jazeera, accompanied by a cameraman, was attacked while covering the riots live. Several young people gathered around them as the journalists were filming the burning garbage bins. The journalist was brutally beaten up, and the cameraman's equipment was taken away."
Azerbaijani journalists were also in this list. A few days ago, a film crew of the Azerbaijani state television AZTV was attacked in a Parisian suburb, as a result of which the correspondent and cameraman received minor injuries. The attackers took away the camera. When the journalists demanded the camera back, they were threatened with weapons.