In Berdiansk, entrepreneur obstructed camera operator filming raid at café

On July 1 in Berdiansk (Zaporizka oblast) an entrepreneur was obstructing the camera operator of the TV channel “Berdiansk” during filming of a raid in local cafés, the media outlet Pro.berdyansk.biz reports.

The filming crew was covering the raid of the special committee from Berdiansk executive committee and sectoral departments in regard to cafés’ summer spaces inspecting them for possible code violations.

At the time of the incident, 14 cafés were inspected. Usually, their staff would have no problems, when asked, to produce the documents for their outdoor spaces. But in the pizzeria ‘Dumka’, its staff behaved aggressively: its owner Oleh Samoilenko started to hurl insults at the administrative department’s chief specialist Vadym Mikulin and then at the camera operator of the TV channel ТБ “Berdiansk.” The entrepreneur grabbed the journalist’s camera and tried to stop the filming. The officials summoned police to the site to hold the attacker accountable for his actions. The corresponding complaint was submitted to the police regarding obstruction to professional activities of journalists.