Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Grand Prix Protests
Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 11:04 | James Miller in Africa, EA Global, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran Wednesday's night mass protest in the Damascus suburb of Irbeen
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Wednesday's Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Appealing to Damascus
2130 GMT: As reported earlier, many journalists have been denied entry into Bahrain to cover the F1. Earlier this evening, a team from Sky News, intending to cover the humanitarian and political situation in Bahrain, were likewise denied entry. EA understands that the team is now back in Dubai and remain intent on gaining entry into Bahrain to see for themselves the situation on the ground.
The Sky News team was headed by Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay who has been tweeting about the experience and his frustration with the Bahrain authorities:
Sky news denied access to report from f1 in bahrain #Bahrain
— Stuart Ramsay (@ramsaysky) April 19, 2012
Govt refuses to explain why I can't come in
— Stuart Ramsay (@ramsaysky) April 19, 2012
We are excluded without redress but have asked to represent all sides
— Stuart Ramsay (@ramsaysky) April 19, 2012
#Bahrain govt welcomes f1 but not independent journalists who actually understand the complexity of this issue
— Stuart Ramsay (@ramsaysky) April 19, 2012
I asked to report on the country not the F1 and they know that come on your excellencies grow up
— Stuart Ramsay (@ramsaysky) April 19, 2012
1959 GMT: Multiple journalists, from news Agencies such as AFP and AP, have been denied entry into Bahrain to cover the F1 race:
Associated Press said two of its Dubai-based journalists were prevented from covering the Grant Prix because they could not receive entry visas, despite being accredited by the FIA.
Meanwhile, cameramen already in Bahrain were required to keep fluorescent orange stickers on their cameras so that they would be easily recognisable to ensure they do not cover any off-track events, such as ongoing protests.