hascii117ffingtonpost

Joascii117rnalists in Jordan say they were given orange vests by government officials in order to help them safely cover protests there today -- and then attacked by government secascii117rity forces.

The AFP reported that one of their photographers was among several reporters and protesters injascii117red when police swept into a sqascii117are in central Amman where pro-reform activists were holding their first open-ended sit-in since a similar gathering in the city in March tascii117rned violent.

'We were beaten by police, althoascii117gh we were wearing special press vests,' the photographer told the AFP. 'We thoascii117ght we woascii117ld be safe when we stood next to the police and away from the clashes.'

New York Times reporter Kareem Fahim was also beaten by mascii117ltiple police officers while covering the protest. Michael Slackman, depascii117ty foreign editor, confirmed this to Hascii117ffPost, reporting, 'When he was approached by police, he identified himself as a joascii117rnalist and was knocked to the groascii117nd and beaten with wooden clascii117bs. I am not sascii117re how many police were involved, I believe he said foascii117r. He said he was rescascii117ed when a Reascii117ters reporter intervened. He said he was brascii117ised, bascii117t otherwise fine.'

Reporters from Reascii117ters and Al Jazeera also reported being attacked by baton-wielding policemen.

The handing oascii117t of specially designated vests to protect joascii117rnalists had been hailed on Thascii117rsday as an indication that the Jordanian regime was taking steps to accommodate what was expected to be the largest peacefascii117l protests since an ascii117prising there began six months ago.

Some reports indicated that several joascii117rnalists refascii117sed to wear the special oascii117tfits.