An ABC News reporter is badly beaten in Bahrain

Radio Info ^ | 3/5/11

[My Favorite Headache]

In another instance of what some Western reporters face while reporting on the spreading protests in the Middle East, ABC Radio News reporter Miguel Marquez was attacked during a protest in the capital city of Bahrain, while he was on the air.

During a chilling report, Marquez reports that government police began firing teargas at the few thousand people that had gathered in Manama's Pearl Square. At one point, you can hear Marquez getting hit by someone, and he yells "journalist, journalist" in an effort to identify himself. He repeats "journalist, journalist" several more times while unidentified people speaking in Arabic are heard continually hitting Marquez. For the next 70 seconds, with his recorder still capturing every harrowing sound, you can hear a beaten Marquez saying "I'm going" over a dozen times to let his attackers know he is leaving. He then says after he gets away and while out of breath, "I just got beat - rather badly - by a gang of thugs. These guys are not screwing around." You can listen to the very disturbing report by Marquez here.

The attack on Marquez comes after CBS News reporter Lara Logan was beaten and sexually assaulted by a gang in Egypt, in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Logan, being treated back in the States, received a call from President Obama.

Tags: ABC Radio News, Bahrain, CBS News, Lara Logan, Miguel Marquez

[omega4179]

Moreover, Leftists are the enemy of any freedom-loving Arabs.

[BobL]

If ABC News is reduced to using illegals for their reporting, I can’t say I really care what happens to them.

[Huntress]

Hmmm. He was standing in front of an ABC TV camera with a mic. I think the crowd figured out he was a western journalist, and that’s why they hit him.

[righttackle44]

Shame. Really. Shame. No really . . .

[aNYCguy]

No sympathy here... journalists are leftists, and leftists hate America. They are the enemy... fight back etc.

Excellent points. You've truly raised the level of discourse here. This reporter deserved to be beaten for attempting to bring us and the rest of the world information on the situation in Bahrain.

I was going to point out that FR exists because there are journalists doing the sometimes-difficult work of observing the world and reporting their observations, and that the existence of journalism is the reason anyone on Earth knows what's happening more that 100 feet in any direction, but then it occurred to me that there's no use trying to reason with someone who's just said something as stupid as you have.

[EDINVA]

A few more of these and the MSM might stop talking disingenuously about, and encouraging American tolerance of, the “religion of peace.”

[ThunderStruck94]

I am American military stationed in Bahrain. The situation here is really overblown. We are still here with our families and I never feel threatened, In addition, I have seen the Arab “youths” here fight and it is like watching a “dance off” or a Michael Jackson dancing video. You really have to be a weakling to get beaten up here.

[combat_boots]

“These guys are not screwing around”

Guess he thinks he should get a medal.

[TigersEye]

Marquez is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.

I guess he was carrying the wrong two Victim Cards for the occasion.

[combat_boots]

Thank you for your service.

[ArmyTeach]

Thank you for your service. I second that - from a sub-driver's daughter.

[BigCinBigD]

A...Another.

B...Bloodied.

C...Corespondent.

[DTogo]

You really have to be a weakling to get beaten up here.

Or an ABC journalist.

[handmade]

There are FReepers dissing the guy because that is all some of them know how to behave. Does not matter who or why, or if it is warranted or not.

[Pit1]

Oh Obama called so everything is ok with Lara. What a publicity hound that Ogoof is.

[TigersEye]

And then there are the real reasons.

[Cementjungle]

Maybe these guys will start to figure out that not all cultures are all that desirable to import into our country.

[ThunderStruck94]

Thanks for the response from several of you. My real point is that this guy was either asking for it or it was staged. The really “big” demonstrations that I have seen here have been “pro” government. There is something strange going on here that I cannot put my finger on when it comes to coverage of this event. It seems that outside coverage of this in American media is not fair toward the government here. I have been all over the Arab world the past 24 years and Bahrain is actually a nice place compared with what I have seen. If a Bahraini citizen actually wants to get up in the morning and work, he/she has a lot of opportunity. Truth is, this is a very lazy culture and most of these anti-government types want something for nothing.

[DTogo]

Truth is, this is a very lazy culture and most of these anti-government types want something for nothing.

Wow, something in common with large segments of America!

Sounds similar to the recent protests in London that took place in a relatively small area near Parliament, but the American media made it look like a huge mob.

[outhousepatrol]

“REARED in Santa Rosa, New Mexico”,to name just one!