Since When is a Riot Not Newsworthy? Posted by Brian C. Ledbetter on September 27, 2006 - 11:27.
The Brussels Journal reported today (via FreeRepublic) that the third day of rioting in the Marollen district of Brussels commenced today, events which were sparked by the apparent murder of a Moroccan prisoner in a Brussels prison. What makes this story unusual is that so far, there has only been one report issued across the newswires (by Reuters) covering the events, and even though the rioting is entering its third day, not a single photographer has been dispatched to document the activities of the Muslim mob.
We have learned from reports in Belgium (which have been roughly translated via Babelfish) that the prisoner was apparently poisoned, and there were no external signs of injury on his body. The parents of the family, and subsequently, the mob, blame the Belgian government for his death, but autopsy reports turned in so far have not been definitive. A more telling video documents some of the reported destruction, but I'm sure there's plenty there that's not covered as well.
In the riots, as reported by the Brussels Journal, stores have been firebombed, bus shelters have been demolished, cars have been set alight, and two Molotov cocktails were thrown into St. Peter's Hospital, which is "one of the main hospitals in central Brussels." Yet amongst all of this meleé, the Associated Press hasn't seen fit to send a photojournalist? Nor Reuters?
The wires' lack of interest in this story is telling, indeed. We'll be tracking events at Snapped Shot as they develop!
Brian C. Ledbetter's
