French press worry about far right threats

By Yusuf Ozcan

PARIS (AA) - Thirty-five media organizations in France expressed concerns Thursday about increasing threats by the extreme right against journalists and urged authorities to take action.

In a letter published in the French newspaper, Liberation, media organizations said extreme right-wingers have been threatening and insulting journalists in recent weeks.

It noted that reporters covering activities of the far-right have been subjected to "unacceptable" unprecedented violence.

Members of the far-right tried to prevent journalists from doing their jobs and organizations are concerned about threats and violence, it said.

The letter urged the government and politicians to take measures and defend freedom of the press before the presidential election next April.

It said journalists working for the Street Press website were threatened by the far-right, targeting them with racist drawings featuring Muslims, Jews and Blacks.

And reporters were prohibited from following an event in Bordeaux that will be attended by far-right journalist and writer Eric Zemmour.

An employee of the Mediapart website, which follows activities of the far-right and conducts research on members, has received death threats for weeks, it noted.

Signatories of the letter include public broadcaster France Info, as well as AFP employees, Le Figaro, L'Express, Mediapart, BFMTV, Paris Match, RFI, RMC, RTL, LCI and Liberation.