Brazilian television reporter Monalisa Perrone was violently interrupted by several men while reporting the status of former President Lula's health for TV Globo's Jornal Hoje on Oct. 31, reported O Globo.
Perrone was speaking about the ex-president's chemotherapy treatment for throat cancer when three men "ran her over," screaming. The live transmission was cut and reporters back in the studio flared their anger at the interruption.
The group responsible has interrupted other broadcasts by the Brazilian television giant Globo and conducted campaigns against the broadcaster though "Merd TV," an Internet channel specializing in similar protests, reported the newspaper O Dia.
In a statement issued on the group's blog, the men apologized to the reporter and said that the aggression was a result of the station's security guards. "We want to apologize to the reporter Monalisa Perrone. It was an accident, we were pushed by the Globo network's own security guards and unintentionally collided with the reporter," the statement read.
The Brazilian Press Association and the Brazilian Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters (Abert in Portuguese) denounced the act, reported Terra. "The attempt to intimidate journalists and impede the free presentation of information should be rejected by everyone that defends freedom of expression as one of the foundations of a democratic society," Abert said in a statement.
