Thread by @MediaFreedomEU

🔴 Join #MFRR panel on #protests in 30 min.

Protests are essential to democracy’s functioning. Yet, covering demonstrations have become a dangerous situation for journalists due to attacks & intimidation.
What needs to change? @freepressunltd @_MoniqueHofmann @SnjCgt @NUNS_1994

🔴LIVE in less than 15 min:
here ➡️ bit.ly/2OLdMd8

We will be live-tweeting.
Choose between French or English.

🔴High-level speakers on today's panel:

Tamara Filipovic Stevanovic, @NUNS_1994
@_MoniqueHofmann @djuverdi
Emmanuel Vire, @SnjCgt
CHAIR: Jantine van Herwijnen @freepressunltd

#MFRR Summit

What is #MFRR?

We track, monitor & respond to media freedom violations in EU Member and Candidate States. It is a consortium of 7 organisations. The project commenced in 2020 and is funded by the @EU_Commission.

Jantine van Herwijnen on #MFRR Summit:

"The right to protest is vital for a functioning democracy, but so is independent media reporting. As we are monitoring alerts against #PressFreedom, we noticed:

Nearly a quarter of the documented alerts are linked to #protests."

Tamara Filipovic Stevanovic from @NUNS_1994 notes during #MFRR Summit:

"Journalists are not being protected in #Serbia. Last year, was the year with the black balance regarding the attacks on journalists. There were 189 attacks on journalists."

Between 7th and 11th July 2020, 28 journalists and media workers were threatened or attacked by demonstrators and police officers during demonstrations across #Serbia. Here is a #MFRR statement on the situation:
➡️bit.ly/3eYsfxn

Tamara Filipovic Stevanovic on #MFRR Summit:

"As a journalist association, we didn't just counted the attack on #journalists. We immediately started to distribute #Press vests to prevent police violence. We then saw that protesters started attacking journalists."

Tamara Filipovic Stevanovic adds that @NUNS_1994 provides training for #journalists.

She is looking forward to share ideas in order to prepare better for further #protests.

#MFRR Summit

In 2020 the situation has become alarmingly worse, especially the working conditions of #journalists when covering demonstrations. Aggressions include physical attacks, damages to equipment and threats.

When comparing to 2019, these violations doubled.

@_MoniqueHofmann #MFRR

"Attacks on #journalists during anti-#COVID19 measures protests increased. In one of these #protests in #Leipzig in November 2020 during one weekend, there were 40 verbal & physical attacks on journalists."

- @_MoniqueHofmann on #MFRR Summit

"Protection by police officers during #protests is inadequate. Sometimes police officers are the source of the threat. Many times police prevent #journalists from doing their work."

- @_MoniqueHofmann on #MFRR Summit

"The main problem is a lack of knowledge by police officers on the role of journalists. Many police officers don't know about the rights of #journalists & police's duty to protect media workers. This can be changed through training."

- @_MoniqueHofmann on #MFRR Summit

"We heard of #journalists who decided not to cover demonstrations due to the increased threats they face and that is problematic",

- @_MoniqueHofmann on #MFRR Summit

There has been a myriad of attacks or threats to #journalists and media workers in German cities, towns and villages during #protests. Here you can view all Mapping Media Freedom alerts from #Germany:
⬇️
bit.ly/3lAvZX6

On #MFRR Summit, Emmanuel Vire from @SnjCgt warns of the new security bill in #France where citizens would not be allowed to film police officers during #protests. Filming police officers can help to detect police violence on journalists.

E. Vire #MFRR:
"Le nouveau schéma du maintien de l'ordre dit:

"Les journalistes n'ont pas droit aux équipments de protection dans les manifestations. Alors qu'on sait aujourd'hui que les manifs sont de plus en plus violentes. Qui aurait pu imaginer que la France en arrive là."

. @_MoniqueHofmann from @djuverdi on #MFRR Summit agress with the previous comment of @renatemargot on the panel "Protect or Persecute?" that the relationship between the police & journalists doesn't work anymore.

Tamara Filipovic Stevanovic from @NUNS_1994 on #MFRR Summit:

"All institutions in #Serbia unfortunately are under political pressure & they cannot do their job in an appropriate way. Because of that, journalists don't believe in the institutions & don't report violations."

Working with SNJ, SNJ-CGT and CFDT-Journalists, the #MFRR published this statement regarding the “Global Security” law:

bit.ly/38Ox2NV

E. Vire on #MFRR Summit:

"We need round-tables after #protests and meet with police chiefs. This relationship between Journalists Union and Police has become really bad. The Global Security law would exacerbate it. Political will is lacking to improve the situation."

"We demand the establishment of special prosecutors regarding attacks of journalists", states @_MoniqueHofmann @djuverdi on #MFRR Summit.

. @_MoniqueHofmann:

"In Berlin, we have a new law for the right of media workers which is codified. This could be one of multiple measures to this problem"

#MFRR Summit

#MFRR Summit: Tamara Filipovic Stevanovic, @NUNS_1994 highlights 2 problems:

1⃣ Professionalisation of #journalists is important. In #Serbia tabloidization of #media is very present. That is one of the problems.

2⃣ Institutions have to do their job and take responsibility.

Tamara Filipovic Stevanovic mentioned violent attacks against journalists during #protests in #Serbia. Here are statements from @EFJEUROPE & the @globalfreemedia regarding the protests in July ⬇️

bit.ly/30Yr48A

Jantine van Herwijnen of @freepressunltd wraps-up the session on #protests during the #MFRR Summit and states that institutions do have to do their job and take responsibility.