Jeremy Bowen, the BBC's Middle East editor, was hit by shotgun pellets on Friday while reporting in Cairo. Though he was hit in the head and bleeding, he kept reporting and was able to make his deadline.
Protests and demonstrations have rocked the region since President Mohammed Morsi was forced out of office on Wednesday and continue to escalate. Bowen, 53, was on the ground when, according to the Guardian, Egyptian troops "opened fire" on protestors. He was hit in the head by shotgun pellets, as reported by Democracy Now! correspondent Sharif Kouddous:
BBC reporter @BowenBBC hit in the head with birdshot. He's ok. pic.twitter.com/2ihAmOvpDL
– Sharif Kouddous (@sharifkouddous) July 5, 2013
Also read: Egypt Military Coup Pushes Zimmerman (Finally) Off Cable News Nets
After a quick patch-up, Bowen was back to work:
Thanks for the messages. I've been hit by a couple of shotgun pellets. Am fine and heading out
– Jeremy Bowen (@BowenBBC) July 5, 2013
He livetweeted from the scene for several hours afterwards, then headed in to put a piece together for the BBC's 10 p.m. newscast. He appears to have made his deadline:
Standby for our mentor @BowenBBC 's report from Cairo, on shortly on BBC1, filmed by @nikcam12
– John Schofield Trust (@JSchofieldTrust) July 5, 2013
Bowen is not the first media figure to be injured while reporting on Egypt. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, on June 28, a Dutch journalist was raped in Tahrir Square. Last Saturday, Salah al-Din Hassan was killed after being hit by bomb that was thrown in a protest he was covering. Two more journalists were, like Bowen, hit by birdshot last Sunday. On Monday, a photographer was beaten.
On Wednesday, several news outlets seen to have pro-Morsi leanings were forced off the air by Egyptian military. Several Al Jazeera reporters were detained by the military following last Wednesday's coup. By Friday, all but one had been released.