Journalism under attack in Argentina

Journalism under attack in Argentines province of Neuquen

The persons and organizations signing below reject the violence suffered by various journalists in the past weeks. They were committed in the mark of a para police action against the workers of Ceramica Zanon. This factory was occupied and started producing one year ago, when workers took control of this largest ceramics factory in South America.

The journalist Walter Perez, working for the newsagency TELAM and Radio Calf, was harrassed on thursday 03/10/02 in front of the factory whilst working for the radio. Stones were thrown at him and he was menaced for his coverage on the conflict in the radio Calf FM University. This is not the first time that this has happened, in the past days the journalists Elio Brat and Lorenzo Lorente were attacked verbally.

Two days after these incidents, members of indymedia that are still inside the factory, were intimidated in an attempt to stop them from continuing reporting on the attacks against the workers, leading to equipment being damaged by the stones thrown at them.

These incidents are the work of a group of people headed by Oscar Montes and is financed by the directors to attack the strike and occupation of the factory. They have been protected by the police of the Province of Neuquen in every single one of there attacks, facts which are proven by various fims and fotos.

Its a shame: the methods of intimidation and agression, the use of civilians to attack workers and journalists, remind us of the last military dictatorship that used such methods to silence opposition, the use of kidnapping and torture.

We wont allow that the censure of journalists installs itself yet again in our country, nor that this kind of action stays unpunished. We will go on defending freedom of speach and make the directors of Ceramicas Zanon as well as the government of the province of Neuquen responsible for any aggression suffered by the press.



Please sign this mail sending a response to nqnsolidaridad@hotmail.com and help us distributing this petition that will be published in several argentinian and international medias.