A group of journalists, media practitioners and activists braved the rain today to demand the Home Ministry withdraw its suspension of news weekly The Heat.
Dubbed the 'Red Pencil Protest', some 200 protesters clad in red assembled at Market Square adjacent to Jalan Leboh Pasar in Kuala Lumpur ar 2pm under unforgiving weather.
The protest was organised by Gerakan Media Marah (Geramm), a loose coalition of journalists in response to The Heat's suspension following reports critical of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's spending habits.
The Home Minister denied that the said report was the reason for suspension, instead blaming it vaguely on the news weekly failing to abide by its publishing permit.
Geramm had rubbished the explanation, pointing out the same reason had been used to silence other publications in the past.
During the protest, participants snapped red pencils as a symbolic gesture of media freedom being under attack.
"The red pencil represents journalists who were injured (in the past, by the authorities) and a culture of control by the powers that be.
"Listen to the breaking sound. That is the suffering of journalists and the media when it is 'broken', as how they were treated violently during the Bersih rally in 2012,” said Geramm spokesperson Fathi Aris Omar (above, with microphone), who is also Malaysiakini chief editor.
During Bersih 2.0 protest in 2012, at least 11 media personnel were assaulted by police and one was beaten up by unidentified individuals at the rally. The responsible parties were never apprehended till today.
[More to follow]
Dubbed the 'Red Pencil Protest', some 200 protesters clad in red assembled at Market Square adjacent to Jalan Leboh Pasar in Kuala Lumpur ar 2pm under unforgiving weather.
The protest was organised by Gerakan Media Marah (Geramm), a loose coalition of journalists in response to The Heat's suspension following reports critical of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's spending habits.The Home Minister denied that the said report was the reason for suspension, instead blaming it vaguely on the news weekly failing to abide by its publishing permit.
Geramm had rubbished the explanation, pointing out the same reason had been used to silence other publications in the past.
During the protest, participants snapped red pencils as a symbolic gesture of media freedom being under attack.
"The red pencil represents journalists who were injured (in the past, by the authorities) and a culture of control by the powers that be."Listen to the breaking sound. That is the suffering of journalists and the media when it is 'broken', as how they were treated violently during the Bersih rally in 2012,” said Geramm spokesperson Fathi Aris Omar (above, with microphone), who is also Malaysiakini chief editor.
During Bersih 2.0 protest in 2012, at least 11 media personnel were assaulted by police and one was beaten up by unidentified individuals at the rally. The responsible parties were never apprehended till today.
[More to follow]
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