By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/un1gfm122809.html
UNITED NATIONS, December 28 -- As protesters massed in front of the UN in Cairo, Egyptian authorities blocked the press from covering the protest or speaking to the protesters.
At noon in New York, Inner City Press asked the Office of the Spokesperson for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, "does the UN have any comment on Egyptian authorities barred the press from filming or speaking with people in front of the UN facilities in Cairo engaged in a protest regarding the Gaza Freedom March?"
Four hours later, having heard nothing back, Inner City Press went to the Spokesperson's Office for an answer to this and other questions. The deputy spokesperson asked, which UN building, and indicated that there would be no UN response.
Back on December 17, Inner City Press asked an organizer of the Gaza Freedom March about Egyptian policies, and whether the UN is going enough. Video here, from Minute 28:30.
The response was generally that "the UN should play a stronger role" (this included in Afghanistan, another of Inner City Press' questions). Video here, from Minute 40:50.
The December 28 request for comment, for the record, was not about the Gaza Freedom March in general -- the UN has already no commented on that -- but about a host government interfering with freedom of the press to cover a protest in front of the UN. The silence, then, is all the more striking. Watch this site.
