Journalists in Yemen Report Attacks

Not a good sign: Journalists in Yemen covering the protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh have reported being repeatedly attacked by government supporters and security. Fifty-three cases of harassment have been reported in recent weeks, including threatening phone calls and physical attacks. While Yemeni journalists typically have had more press freedom than other Arab countries, the government has a history of preventing coverage of specific events. One journalist, Mohammed al-Jaradi, said he was walking home from a demonstration when three men in civilian clothes asked him why he was taking photos. “I said to them, ‘I am taking photos for the sake of freedom,’” al-Jaradi said—a comment that earned him being beaten to the ground and stabbed in the arm.