Sri Lanka
TV station attacked by mobPosted Apr 9 2010
About 200 people threw rocks at Sirasa TV 's Colombo headquarters March 22, hitting Sirasa staff and damaging windows and vehicles.
IPI reports that in response to the attack, staff members also started throwing stones and used water hydrants to deter the crowd.
The Sri Lankan chapter of the South Asian Free Media Association released a statement that said ordinary citizens had more of a hand in stopping the mob violence than the police did.
IPI also condemned police response time to the attack.
“It is disturbing that the Sri Lankan authorities have failed to react swiftly both to stop the attack as it was carried out as well as in bringing the perpetrators to justice and therefore send a clear signal that such acts are not tolerated,” said IPI Deputy Director Alison Bethel McKenzie.
A few people were arrested, said Reporters Without Borders.
According to the Sunday Times, eyewitnesses said some of the mob claimed to have been sent by Mervyn Silva, a minister in the Sri Lankan government.
Reporters Without Borders reported that some of the mob carried posters protesting Sirasa's plan to broadcast a concert by American rapper Akon.
On March 23, President Mahinda Rajapaksa put Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya in charge of investigating the attack.