CAIRO: Egyptian photographers demonstrated Saturday in front of the Journalists Syndicate to protest a decree restricting their presence in parliament to five minutes at the beginning of each session.
Parliament Speaker Fathi Sorour asked photographers to the leave the assembly hall when an unflattering snapshot of Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif eating watermelon seeds appeared in the independent daily Al-Masry Al Youm.
Some 30 photographers also demanded guarantees from the government to protect them from “irresponsible acts by policemen and hired thugs who beat them and damage their cameras while carrying out their job, according to a statement signed by the photographers.
The banners at the demonstration said: “Stop violence against photographers, “Don’t chase our cameras and Our cameras reveal your violations.
Demonstrators included photographers working with independent, opposition, state-owned newspapers, as well as international news agencies.
Amr Abdalla, the Al-Masry Al-Youm photographer who took the Nazif photo told The Daily Star Egypt: “We didn’t do anything illegal when by taking photos in a public place. We are people’s eyes. When they ban us they are really banning people from knowing what’s happening inside the People s Assembly.
“We work under dangerous circumstances, Reuters stringer Abdel Nasser Nouri told The Daily Star Egypt.
There are lots of cases of violence against us, we need protection, he said, stressing that the government is tightening its grip on press freedom.
During the 2005 legislative elections, Associated Press photographer Amr Nabil lost an eye when he was hit by a brick thrown at him by a state security policeman.
Two days before Sorour s decision Khaled Gamal, a photographer with the state-owned Al Akhbar newspaper, was attacked by thugs while covering the trial of ex-National Democratic Party MP Emad El Galada.
Al-Masry Al Youm photographer Hossam Fadl was also attacked by and MP two month ago. He beat him and took his camera for publishing a photo of him sleeping at a PA session.
But the day following the demonstration Sorour denied forbidding photographers from doing their jobs.
In a phone interview aired on Dream TV s Al Ashera Masaan (The 10 O clock Show) he explained that because the hall is too crowded photographers will have the opportunity to take pictures from the center of the hall for only five minutes, after which they will only be allowed to work from the sidelines.
Sorour confirmed his unwavering support for press freedom.
