A cameraman from TVB News was surrounded, pushed, insulted and driven away by a group of people outside the Justice Place today (27 June). His face and eyes were even being shot by flashlights at a short range. Besides this incident, several similar cases also occurred in some protests and public events recently. The situation is getting more and more severe. Some journalists who were present at those scenes also reported that their filming had been obstructed. The Hong Kong Journalists Association condemns such kind of actions, which seriously infringe on press freedom. HKJA urges citizens to express opinions rationally and respect journalists’ rights to reporting. They should not obstruct journalists’ reporting work.

HKJA emphasizes that interviewing and reporting are the duties of a journalist. If front-line journalists are being disturbed and their reporting work obstructed, freedom of the press will be undermined and the public’s right to know will also be weakened. Hence, HKJA urges people not to obstruct the journalists’ reporting. They should not vent out their anger onto journalists even if they are dissatisfied with the reporting of their media organisations. They could send their opinions and views to the relevant news organizations.

Hong Kong Journalists Association
27 June 2019