Journalists did not have protection when covering protests near Rada – Oksana Romaniuk

Executive director of the Institute of Mass Information (IMI), Oksana Romaniuk, thinks that journalists and editorial offices of mass media outlets found themselves unprepared to cover protests near the Parliament building on August 31, as they did not use any protection, Telekrytyka informs.

“Ukrainian journalists and mass media editorial offices found themselves unprepared for the events that took place near the Parliament building. In spite of having experience of work at Maidan, they lacked necessary protection - armored vests, helmets, first aid kits. Some of them worked in the Parliament and were not prepared for the clashes, but some came for covering protests where tear gas was already being used, so they should have considered it. Editorial offices are responsible for sending out employees to work at protest action without protection, but the journalists who did not insist that they need protection gear are also responsible”, Romaniuk said.

Yet she noted a positive point - the journalists were able to give first aid to themselves and to other victims.

“Trainings on providing first aid were not in vain, many journalists were able to help the wounded. I want to especially commend the actions of TSN filming crew, the cameraman of which Dmytro Bolshakov, with the assistance of his colleague journalist, was able to apply makeshift tourniquet made of belt to his wound, and journalists Anatoliy Morozov, who provided professional-grade first aid for French journalist who sustained head injury, and Maksym Trebukhov, who also provided first aid to his wounded colleagues”, Romaniuk said.

As IMI informed earlier, on August 31 near the building of the Ukrainian Parliament, a combat grenade was thrown into the National Guards, resulting in many injured and at least one death.