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Mubarak Regime Targets Journalists, Human Rights Workers As Violence Spikes

Kevin Douglas Grant |
February 3, 2011 | 11:40 a.m. PST

Executive Editor

By Muhammad Ghafari, Creative Commons
By Muhammad Ghafari, Creative Commons
The battle for the future of Egypt continues with a bloody toll.

More than 50 journalists from around the world have been arrested and/or beaten in Egypt, while human rights workers have been rounded up and imprisoned.

The Washington Post reports: "Reporters from various countries, including a BBC television correspondent and reporters from Spain, Sweden and Italy, are among those who have been rounded up or assaulted. He said there was a report of 'thugs' breaking into a Hilton hotel -- where many journalists were staying -- to round up reporters."

Several reports indicate these "thugs" have been hired by President Hosni Mubarak's government to harass and intimidate those assembled in places like Tahrir Square, a public square in downtown Cairo where violence between pro- and anti-government demonstrators killed five and injured as many as 900 people.

Mubarak's police forces, long considered a cruel menace in Egypt, have continued their crackdown on the streets as captured by this video of an Egyptian police vehicle running over several peaceful marchers.

Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq denied a government role in the violence, blaming a few foreign infiltrators and pledging to deal them justice.  There is a great deal of confusion as to the role of the Egypt's military, traditionally respected by Egyptians, which has largely eschewed violence in recent days.

Army patrols have reportedly rounded up journalists ("possibly for their protection") while also finally stepping in between violent pro-government protesters and their anti-government counterparts.  Most analysis of top military brass's thinking is highly speculative.

Several famous American journalists, including CNN's Anderson Cooper, CBS's Katie Couric and ABC's Christiane Amanpour have gotten caught up in the violence, allegedly being punched, kicked and berated by pro-Mubarak crowds.

At the moment, Tahrir Square is taking a breather, experiencing what Al Jazeera calls a "tense calm."



 

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