Dutch Camera crew attacked during coal mine protest in Germany

A camera crew from Dutch broadcaster PowNed was attacked by a group of activists on Saturday at the protest against lignite mining in Lützerath, Germany. That's according to PowNed’s chairman Dominique Weesie, confirming an earlier report by NOS. As a result, the broadcaster has filed a complaint.

The activists were carrying a flag of the far-left Antifa movement, NOS reported. The cameraman in question injured his hand and the camera was damaged, but otherwise the cameraman and the reporter were unharmed.

Not only the PowNed team was attacked, said Weesie. "It was not specifically aimed at us, but actually all journalists who were present there were pelted with stones," the broadcaster said to NOS.

Furthermore, reporter Mark Baanders said on social media that they were insulted and called Nazis because they were from the press, and experienced physical attacks, such as kicking, the NOS reported.

Images of the attack on the Dutch camera crew from PowNed were made by a journalist from the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

Demonstranten mit Antifa-Fahne attackieren niederländische Journalisten bei Demo gegen die Räumung von #Luetzerath @NZZde pic.twitter.com/1i3fA3TUdN

— Oliver Maksan (@OliverMaksan) January 14, 2023

Later on, the German journalists association DJV made a statement on twitter and said it condemns the harassment. "Free news gathering from Lützerath is necessary and must be guaranteed," the organization reported. "Attacking or obstructing the press is no small offense."

Dieser Angriff auf Journalist*innen durch Antifas ist durch nichts zu rechtfertigen. https://t.co/v0DaxG9XGV

— Journalisten-Verband (DJV) @[email protected] (@DJVde) January 14, 2023

The Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ) is now concerned that journalists are too often not respected as independent observers at large demonstrations. This was reported by NVJ secretary Thomas Bruning in response to the attack on a PowNed camera crew at the protest against lignite mining in Lützerath, Germany, just across the border near Roermond.

"It is very sad and worrying that journalists are less and less respected as independent observers," said Bruning. He spoke of a "serious offense. This proves that the obstruction of journalists comes from all corners of society: farmers and corona demonstrators, but also anti-fascists. All those groups should know better and give the press free rein to carry out their work to practice."