(Periodistas/IFEX) – On Monday 16 August 1999, two journalists and a driver for “Clarín” newspaper were assaulted by members of a sporting club in Buenos Aires while they were on duty. The “Clarín” team (a columnist, photographer and driver) had gone to the Palermo subsidiary of the Buenos Aires Gymnasium and Fencing Club (GEBA) to […]
(Periodistas/IFEX) – On Monday 16 August 1999, two journalists and a driver
for “Clarín” newspaper were assaulted by members of a sporting club in
Buenos Aires while they were on duty. The “Clarín” team (a columnist,
photographer and driver) had gone to the Palermo subsidiary of the Buenos
Aires Gymnasium and Fencing Club (GEBA) to verify that the club had fenced
in a disputed piece of property. For some time, GEBA has been in conflict
with local organisations and the City of Buenos Aires over an area almost
eight hectares in size. Currently, the courts are investigating if the land
was occupied legally.
“At around 1 p.m., we were walking through the area together with two
members of the Friends of the Palermo Lake Association when, at that moment,
two men passed by near the wire fence, on the side outside the club’s
property,” Gabriela Vigo, the “Clarín” columnist, recalled. “When these men
recognised the members of the Friends of the Lake they began to shout at
them ‘because of you our house is being taken away from us´.” Photographer
Rubén Dubrovsky took photos of the first punches and then one of the
assailants, who was later identified as Miguel Sellinger, demanded that
Dubrovsky stop taking photos and give him the film. “He was very excited. He
began to kick and throw punches, and then he threw a piece of rubble at me
but I managed to duck,” Dubrovsky testified.
When he saw that his colleague was being attacked, Vigo went to the fence to
ask for help from some people who were inside the club, on the other side of
the fence. “One group of individuals came closer and pushed the fence down,”
the journalist stated. “One of the cement posts fell on me hitting me on my
left shoulder and I ended up under the fence,” while about fifty people
crossed over to join in the confrontation. When the driver, Guillermo Muñoz,
tried to come closer, a number of men cornered him against the car and began
to hit him. Fifteen minutes later, a police car from the 23rd station
arrived on the scene and had to ask for three more cars to be sent for
reinforcements.
Sellinger, a member of GEBA, was the only assailant who was taken to the
police station. When he was released at 8:00 p.m. (local time), he looked at
another “Clarín” photographer and told him: “If you continue photographing
me, I am going to beat you up.” A complaint has been filed with Judge Luis
Schelgel. A number of press organisations and community officials have
denounced the assault.
