Melee Down Under

Some days it just doesn't pay to be a cameraman. Okay MOST days it doesn't pay to be a cameraman, but that's not important right now. What IS important is that I milk another blog post from a frighteningly slow week. Thus, we hand matters over to Tim Rutherford at Photog's Lounge, who in turn points us South. W-a-a-a-y South.

Dateline: Melbourne, Australian. At a court proceedings charging several men with planning terrorist acts, the accused group's thugged-out buddies showed up en masse and scowls at the ready. The tension was high in the courtroom, but the stupidity didn't break out until around noon. For the rest, we turn it over to the good folks at The Sydney Morning Herald, who describe the incident in a way only Australians can:

At the lunch break the stocky supporter had a niggle at one of the task force in the lobby and found himself being frogmarched from the premises. Outside, he and his friends launched into the crowding media. They leaped on a Channel Seven cameraman, Matt Rose, knocking him to the footpath. As he went down, at least four others kicked and punched him.

Rose's sound recordist, Daniel McCarthy, and a Herald-Sun photographer, Craig Borrow, were both punched in the jaw and the five hurled metal tables and chairs, cursing and screaming.

The attack was sudden but less than smart. Police will be looking at the hundreds of photos and TV footage before laying charges. As they left, so they may be going back to court.

Here's hoping the Aussie authorities catch the camera-hating goons and the camera crew recuperates. Personally, I've never been attacked while behind the lens. I HAVE been spit at, threatened, cursed out and of course, dumped in the Atlantic. Hey, who says being a cameraman doesn't pay?

UPDATE: A grainy video depicting the attack. Worth it for the sound alone...