Photojournalist, girlfriend attacked by bystanders at accident scene

A photojournalist and his girlfriend were attacked by a group of 6 bystanders and a tractor was used to push their car into a ditch. The incident happened in Lunteren at the scene of a car fire, Omroep Gelderland reported.

The journalist and his girlfriend both suffered minor injuries. Two people were arrested, including the tractor driver, the broadcaster said.

The incident occurred early Tuesday morning on Krommehoekseweg in Lunteren when a group of about six bystanders became furious with the photographer as he tried to report on the car fire. Witnesses, including another photographer, said that bystanders used branches to strike the photojournalist’s car before a tractor with a shovel attachment was used to tip their car into a dried-up ditch.

https://www.twitter.com/japjaapie/status/1384279233912918025

The car ended up in the ditch upside-down, trapping the two inside. The victims were then freed by the fire brigade and taken to the hospital.

Another press photographer who was present at the location during the incident was concerned about the increasing number of assaults on journalists.

"You see the aggression against journalists already increasing and now this. Just a journalist being pushed into a ditch with his car and hit by a shovel. This is really intense."

🚨 Persfotograaf in #Lunteren met auto en al door shovel de sloot ingegooid https://t.co/NSXHn9Xj7X 112Vallei pic.twitter.com/Ujh98EDBdY

— 112Vallei (@112Vallei) April 19, 2021