Palestinian journalists urged to boycott Stephen Harper's trip

For several years, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has ruffled the feathers of Canadian media outlets by restricting access to information and preferring photo-ops over questions.

It turns out Steve isn't going over so well with journalists in Palestine either. Check out this excerpt from today's (January 20) Canadian Press report on the PM's trip to Ramallah in the West Bank:

As is often the case in this troubled region, his visit stirred passions when local journalists accused Harper’s bodyguards of assaulting them when they tried to cover the visit.

The cameramen objected in anger when the videographer for the prime minister’s office, who is filming his every move during his inaugural Middle East visit, was allowed into the church ahead of the rest of the media. The Palestinians believed the videographer was a Canadian reporter and complained bitterly.

The Palestinian Union of Journalists said that one journalist was punched in the face and another was hit with a metal object and urged all Palestinian journalists to boycott Harper’s visit to Palestine. It also called on Harper to apologize.

Don't hold your breath for the apology.