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Anastasia Balezdrova

Just days after the publication of the report of the international organization "Reporters without borders", in which the authors point out cases of police violence against media representatives, a new and especially provocative attack caused sharp reactions.

Shortly after the protest organized by the public and private workers unions, a police unit attacked a group of photoreporters and camera operators. According to Tatiana Bolari, who was slapped by a policeman, security forces started chasing them out of Syntagma Square and pushing them with their shields, after the reporters took shots of how they captured a young man. "Suddenly we heard the head of the police squad saying, "Expel the journalists" and they started pushing us with their shields. I turned to one of the officers and told him not to push us and he started insulting me using very cynical language. When I told him to remove his gas mask so I could see him and file a complaint against him, he hit me," she said. Another colleague of hers left the "battle" with a broken tooth and a bloody face and several more were prevented from doing their work through pushing and hitting their hands.

Here is the story of one of the photojournalists who witnessed the attack. He wishes to remain anonymous.

"At one point, riot forces came from Vasillias Sofias avenue with the sole purpose of "clearing" Amalias avenue of demonstrators and then continuing the action on the square. As they were coming down the avenue, they hit a protester who was standing beside the iron wall at the steps and immediately captured a young man. All the photo reporters, camera operators and journalists rushed there to shoot the scene. The police officers began shouting  at us to get out of there and to stop filming. One of them hit a few colleagues. Minutes later, they began pushing us with their shields and told us that we should leave the area. The colleagues protested, saying that it was their job. They kept pushing and the photoreporters were saying that they would not leave. Some other colleagues and Tatiana continued filming the events. The video that I shot shows how she was saying something, probably asking him why they should have to leave the area since they were journalists, and he hit her on the face and she turned to the other side.
 
Then, some colleagues told a policeman – I do not know if he was from the same squad - to call his colleague who had hit Tatiana, to explain why and to take off his mask to reveal his face. He called us to go to the parliament, near the monument of the Unknown Soldier. There we began shouting, asking for explanations. Then the incident ended.

Did they push you?

I always stay away from the police, because I have also been hit during other protests. I always try to keep a 1-2 metre distance between myself and the nearest police officer so that I can flee, if necessary. That is why yesterday I was a bit far away, but I could see everything. Yesterday, the police hit other colleagues too. The problem is that no one else, including me, filed a complaint. Only Tatiana did. When they hit me, I thought that I would probably not find any justice and did nothing about it. I did not think I would find anyone to support me. Everything happened just as fast as yesterday and I did not even know if anyone had managed to film in the dark. I still think that I would not have been able to find a solution. Yesterday's incident was different, but I think that it would not have had any success with the authorities if it had not been recorded by the cameras. In fact, we cannot be sure even now."

According to the chairman of the Greek union of press photographers Marios Lolos, frequent attacks on photoreporters cannot be considered accidental.

"I was not present at the attack. I was shooting the several clashes at the Ministry of Finance and everything was over then. Later, the chairmen of the media employees unions had a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Finance to discuss issues related to unemployment, extra taxes, etc. The meeting ended after about an hour. When I came out, I saw that the policemen in the square had taken off their helmets, put down their shields and the protesters had already left. That is why I went to the office to send the pictures to the media I work in. Suddenly at 16:30, a colleague called and told me, "They are beating us."  I returned to Syntagma immediately. Tatiana was stunned because a policeman had hit her - apparently a true man. I learned that another colleague had left with a broken tooth and a bloody lip after she was hit with a shield. Another four colleagues were pushed to the ground. Earlier, during the clashes at the Ministry of Finance, a colleague from Spain was gassed straight in the face. I looked at him, asked him if he was all right and later they hit him again, i.e. he came under attack twice.

The attack happened at the top of the square, in the open space, hence it is naive to believe that the police were confused and in a narrow street had accidentally hit a colleague in the mess that prevailed. Here we are talking about a few people, calm atmosphere and open space where the group of reporters was seen very clearly. They can see us from far away because we have helmets and masks, and two cameras worth ten thousand euro in our heavy bags. Therefore, when they beat us, they know only too well that they are beating reporters and camera operators. It is abundantly clear that they were beat our colleagues to punish them for shooting what they did.

Did you file a complaint?

Yes, we went with Tatiana to court. We could not find a prosecutor, although there should be one available 24 hours a day. We called one, but he did not come. Then we talked with the Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and went to the central police station to file a complaint. Two colleagues who were present at the attack came to testify. One of the questions they were asked was if, by any chance, they had provoked the police officers. Others asked whether the reporters had gas masks and whether there were any distinguishing signs to show that they belonged to the media. "

Members of the union of press photographers said they would take stronger action against police arbitrariness. "The paper "battle" with a message makes no sense. It should not be possible to beat us while we are doing our job. I have been beaten several times. We reported it at the time, the police conducted internal checks, but nothing ultimately happened. What we would like to see happen is for those guilty of at least one case of beating to be found and shown to be punished. Only in this way will the Minister prove that they do not give orders to beat us," said Marios Lolos.

Earlier today, apparently after the media response, the Ministry of Citizens Protection announced that the police officer who hit press photographer Tatiana Bolari had been arrested. However, many of her colleagues do not believe that the attacker will be punished.