June 11, 2010

World Cup Photographer Robbed at Gunpoint

A Portuguese photographer covering the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament was robbed at gunpoint by two men who took his camera equipment, the AP reports. The robbery occurred at the photographer’s hotel room in Magaliesburg, South Africa,  which is 75 miles northwest of Johannesburg and roughly 44 miles from the soccer stadium in Rustenburg. 

Photographer Antonio Simoes told his paper, the Portuguese daily O Jogo, that at about 4 a.m. this morning, he awoke when two men entered his room at the Nutbush Boma Lodge. One pointed a gun at his head while the other took about $35,000 worth of camera and computer equipment, his passport, cellphones, World Cup accreditation and cash.

 "Then they told me to lie on the bed and they covered me with a blanket, pressed the gun against my head and told me to sleep. The whole thing took one or two minutes, but it felt like hours," Simoes told The Associated Press.

Two other journalists staying at the lodge,  Miguel Serrano and Rui Gustavo, also found their rooms had been robbed while they slept. 

Security has been a concern for many photojournalists who must travel between venues within South Africa to cover matches during the World Cup, which kicks off June 11.  In an interview with PDN in the run-up to the tournament, sports photographer Streeter Lecka, who shoots for Getty Images, said, ìI know that our personal safety is an area of concern. Our editorial team has made it a high priority, making sure that there is always a few of us at each venue to travel together—keeping us together as a team.

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