As leftists “besieged” Bnei Brak in protest of the “end of democracy,” they apparently had no problem silencing anyone with a different opinion – physically attacking a reporter from the right-wing Channel 14 News channel covering the protest.

Reporter Atay Shalev and his photographer were surrounded by dozens of protesters who first prevented him from broadcasting by shoving their “Zionist flags” in his face and using drums and other instruments to drown him out, and later in the evening, began to engage in physical violence, using their flagpoles to hit them. Police officers at the scene had to rescue them from the area.

In the video, Shalev, clearly agitated, explained how this wasn’t the first time he was attacked but it was the first time he felt real fear of being injured as the attack by dozens of protesters felt like a lynch and he had to be rescued by police forces.

Sadly, leftists’ flagpoles have been transformed into weapons on a number of occasions, including a separate incident during the Bnei Brak “siege” when a protester hit a young bochur.

Channel 14 News issued a statement saying: “We strongly condemn the violence of the left-wing demonstrators who attacked and beat reporter Atay Shalev and photographer Emil Mushailov during coverage of a demonstration tonight in Bnei Brak.”

“Our team was attacked by dozens of thugs with sticks, objects were thrown at them, and megaphones were thrust in their ears. The anarchists surrounded the reporter and the photographer and did not allow them to broadcast. The violence against our staff lasted for about two and a half hours and police forces were required to rescue them from the thugs.”

“Unfortunately, since the start of the protests against the reform, Channel 14 reporters suffer violence and assaults every time they report on them. A complaint will be filed with the police in the next few hours. We demand that the Police Commissioner and all law enforcement agencies act immediately to prosecute the violent thugs. The channel’s management intends to set up a legal team as early as tomorrow morning to file civil lawsuits against the rioters who attacked our dedicated team. Attempts at violent and criminal silencing will not deter us from doing our important work for Am Yisrael.”

“We should note that this is not the first time that the Channel 14 team has been attacked by demonstrators during the left-wing protests. The last time happened two months ago when a similar case occurred in which Atay was attacked when he was covering a protest in Tel Aviv. He was attacked by dozens of protesters who cursed him and even used physical violence to prevent him from doing his job. Police officers who were there protected him and prevented the protesters from harassing him.”

Channel 12 News reporter Yaron Avraham wrote: “The attack of Atay Shalev is precisely the moment when everything should be pushed aside to stand up against the violent and disgusting behavior he was subject to because he expressed views that failed to find favor in the eyes of the protesters…if the leaders of the protesters had a little self-respect, they would condemn this attack – the sooner the better.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)