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| Photo: David Degner |
In the past week we all have witnessed the
happenings in Egypt. The anti-Mubarak protestors demanding democracy and the
departure of President Hosni Mubarak. In the last few days the mood has changed
to highly aggressive. People are being beaten, Molotov cocktails are flying
through the air and many have been injured.
At the same time the pro-Mubarak protestors
and the police started to target the journalists and reporters, making it very
hard for them to do their job. Continuously reports are coming in of
journalists beaten, kidnapped, imprisoned, their cars and equipment destroyed
and machetes put at their throats. Broken bones and serious injuries are the
result of Mubarak’s people wanting to stop reporters telling us their story.
Experienced reporters that have covered many of the worst wars in the last twenty
years let us know that they have never experienced this amount of aggression and
danger for them to do their job, not in Afghanistan, Iraq or former Yugoslavia.
The photojournalists, the camera crews and
the reporters are our eyes and ears to see what’s happening in Egypt. Hotels
that have journalists as their guests are being targeted, embassies from various
countries are trying to get the journalists to safety. The Dutch Union for Journalists
even called out to journalists not to go to Egypt anymore.
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| Photo: David Degner |
We might see what is happening in Cairo,
but very little information is coming from all the other cities in Egypt, and
it appears to be just as bad, if not worse. It seems that the green revolution
of Iran in 2009 is repeating itself, and we all know the outcome of that story.
Today is Friday, hopefully the day that
Mubarak leaves his position. I’m currently sitting in my office, far away
from troubles, wondering what I can do and not having any answers. If Hosni
Mubarak does not leave today, if the aggression against the Egyptian people,
the journalists and reporters continues today then we can not stand by and watch. So
let this be a calling to all the governments worldwide to stand up and not only
condemn this behavior of Mubarak and his followers, but to take action. Mubarak’s
people are targeting our citizens that are working for your government so that
you know what’s going on. Even more important; the people of Egypt deserve it.
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| Photo: David Degner |
Next to that I want to applaud all the
journalists that are currently in Egypt for the work they do, showing us
the atrocities that are happening right now. I wish them luck and safety.
Update Feb. 5, 2011: Journalist Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud (36) was shot while taking pictures from his balcony on January 28th, yesterday he died due to his injuries. We wish his family and friends strength during these hard times.
All images are by David Degner, a photojournalists living in Egypt. I wish him safety and the best of luck.
Website: http://www.incendiaryimage.com/
4 comments:
Damn, i never thought about this angle on what happens in Egypt. Thank you for open my eyes.
I have never understood a mobs violence against photographers, we are trying to get their story told.
If you are fighting for democracy then you are fighting for free press and freedoms for everyone.
Yet time and time again photographers and journalists get targeted.
Stay safe wherever you are.
terrible events and valuable pictures all the more the internet is cut in Egypt!
We, the people of Egypt are deeply sorry for everyone who was killed or injured, or even imprisoned in order to get us where we are now; Freedom! The bloodshed stopped finally. And as we celebrate, we also mourn those who paid the price.
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