Egyptian army rounds up journalists

CAIRO – The Egyptian military started rounding up journalists, possibly for their own protection, yesterday after they came under attack from supporters of President Hosni Mubarak who have been assaulting anti-government protesters.

An Associated Press reporter saw eight foreign journalists detained by the military near the prime minister’s office, not far from Tahrir Square, the scene of battles between supporters of Mubarak and protesters demanding he step down after nearly 30 years in power.Foreign photographers reported a string of attacks on them yesterday morning by Mubarak supporters near Tahrir Square. One Greek print journalist was stabbed in the leg with a screwdriver. A Greek freelance photographer was punched in the face by a group of men who stopped him on the street near Tahrir Square and smashed some of his equipment.The Arabic-language satellite channel Al-Arabiya is pleading on an urgent news scroll for the army to protect its offices and journalists. – Nampa-AP