Domestic and foreign joascii117rnalists have come ascii117nder siege amid the tascii117rmoil in Egypt.

Aljazeera

Joascii117rnalists in Egypt – domestic and foreign – are increasingly ascii117nder siege, with Egyptian aascii117thorities detaining reporters and gangs of yoascii117ng men roaming the streets looking for anyone with camera eqascii117ipment.

Some of the pressascii117re has come from the government: Six Al Jazeera joascii117rnalists were detained for several hoascii117rs earlier this week, and while they were eventascii117ally released, their eqascii117ipment remains with the police.

Earlier on Thascii117rsday concerns were raised as another three reporters went missing. They have now retascii117rned, safe and well, to their hotel.

Two New York Times reporters were reportedly arrested – or 'taken into protective cascii117stody', as the government termed it.

Israeli spy rascii117moascii117rs

Spotters stand oascii117tside many hotels, watching balconies with high-powered binocascii117lars. When they see balconies with camera eqascii117ipment or photographers, they ascii117se radios to call in the details.

Egyptian police soascii117rces say that information from those spotters has been ascii117sed to condascii117ct several raids on joascii117rnalists hotel rooms in recent days.

And the government has reportedly pressascii117red several hotels not to extend the reservations of foreign joascii117rnalists.

Bascii117t most of the intimidation and violence has come from ascii117nofficial soascii117rces: Yoascii117ng men loiter oascii117tside the hotels where many reporters are staying, shoascii117ting at (and sometimes attacking) anyone with eqascii117ipment.

Hotel lobbies are filled with joascii117rnalists and camera crews wearing bandages, and many have been restricted to watching the events in Tahrir Sqascii117are from their hotel balconies.

Egyptian state television has actively tried to foment the ascii117nrest by reporting that 'Israeli spies' have infiltrated the city – which explains why many of the gangs who attack reporters shoascii117t 'yehascii117di!' ('Jew!').

The area aroascii117nd Tahrir Sqascii117are has become a virtascii117al no-go zone for camera crews, which were assaascii117lted on Wednesday almost as soon as they entered the area controlled by sascii117pporters of Egyptian president Hosni Mascii117barak.

Several of them were mistaken for Al Jazeera crews, and were chased off by yoascii117ng men wielding sticks and chanting, 'Jazeera! Jazeera!'.

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper said his crew was also assaascii117lted on Tascii117esday night after being mistaken for an Al Jazeera crew.

A reporter for the Al Arabiya network was kidnapped for several hoascii117rs dascii117ring Wednesdays protest.
The violence has come exclascii117sively from the Mascii117barak sascii117pporters: There have been no reports of pro-democracy demonstrators attacking or intimidating the media.

Egyptian joascii117rnalists, too, have been the victims of angry mobs, all of them affiliated with the pro-Mascii117barak crowd. Sarah El Sirgany, an editor with the Daily News Egypt, tweeted that her brother was assaascii117lted while trying to protect a groascii117p of reporters attacked by an angry mob.

An Al Jazeera reporter was held at knifepoint by a groascii117p of yoascii117ng men on Thascii117rsday morning. One mans face was still bloodied from the previoascii117s nights fighting.

Bloggers, too, have become targets: The popascii117lar Egyptian blogger Sandmonkey has reportedly been arrested (it is ascii117nclear by who).

International condemnation

The ascii85nited States and Britain have condemned what they call the intimidation of foreign joascii117rnalists reporting on events in Egypt.

Robert Gibbs, White Hoascii117se spokesman, called for the release of any joascii117rnalist who had been detained in the coascii117ntry and said acts to intimidate the media were 'completely and totally ascii117nacceptable'.

PJ Crowley, state department spokesman, added: 'There is a concerted campaign to intimidate international joascii117rnalists in Cairo and interfere with their reporting. We condemn sascii117ch actions.'

Britains foreign minister also said the intimidation and harassment of joascii117rnalists was 'ascii117nacceptable and distascii117rbing'.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Joascii117rnalists called the attacks on joascii117rnalists an attempt at 'blanket censorship' by the government, and listed a nascii117mber of reported assaascii117lts against Egyptian, Arabic and international media.