South Africa: CFWIJ Condemns The Attack On Athi Mtongana And Monique Mortlock By Anti-Mask Protestors

Location: South Africa, Fish Hoek
Date: February 10, 2021

The demonstrators protesting the lockdown in the country on Saturday, turned violent and assaulted reporters Athi Mtongana and Monique Mortlock who were present there to cover the protest.

According to a tweet by Athi, one of the protestors slapped off the phone from her hand when she attempted to record the protest, citing that everyone who wears a mask in the country is a “pedophile”. Athi is not the only reporter who got assaulted at the protest. Monique Mortlock, another reporter present at the scene tweeted that a protestor refused to speak to her because she was wearing a mask, and later tried to rip it off her face even with security forces present at the premises.

Protestors, who had gathered under the name “WeAreMore” were demanding that the economy remain open in South Africa. In fact, anti-lockdown groups in the country have been getting vocal. Just a week earlier they had arranged a demonstration demanding that beaches remain operational for citizen use. According to them the security precautions being taken in light of the pandemic curb their constitutional rights. The man who assaulted Monique has since been taken into custody.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the physical assault of the women reporters present at the scene. It is extremely ironic that groups that believe that assembly during a pandemic is a constitutional right would go on to breaching the right to safety of journalists present to cover their event.

The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.