Posted by By Bekai Njie
Personnel of Police Intervention Unit (PIU) were reported to have beaten Babucarr Manga, the cameraman of the Eyeafrica TV, while covering a meeting convened by Teachers For Change.
The Gambia Press Union (GPU) condemned the assault, saying the safety of every Gambian journalist is their most important priority and it will always strive as a union to safeguard that.
“Gambia Press Union (GPU) has just been informed that a journalist who serves as cameraman for Eye Africa online TV was earlier this afternoon assaulted by a member of the Police Intervention Unit while he was filming a meeting organised by a group of disgruntled teachers in Abuko,” it said on Sunday.
Mr. Manga was filming at the disgruntled teachers’ meeting when he was attacked by some PIU officers, beaten. He was reported to sustain some injuries.
Teachers for Change is a group of Gambian teachers who have been organising sit down-strikes in protest for salary increment and full payment of provincial and hardship allowances.
“We want to assure our colleagues that the GPU is following this case and will communicate its reaction/intervention as soon as we speak to the concerned journalist and his employer who witnessed the incident,” the press union Executive said yesterday afternoon.