Palestinian journalists strike

GAZA, March 19 (UPI) -- Palestinian journalists will observe a 24-hour strike as of Tuesday to protest the kidnapping of a BBC correspondent who went missing a week ago.

The Palestinian press syndicate Monday urged all journalists and media personnel to stop work for 24 hours, as of Tuesday at dawn, and refrain from covering all events "except the Israeli attacks." It said in a statement Monday the work stoppage is to protest against the "indifference" to the continued disappearance of BBC Gaza Correspondent Alan Johnston, who the Palestinian authorities said was kidnapped March 12.

The association said the strike, accompanied by a sit-in Tuesday in front of the Legislative Council in Gaza, is the first step in a series of protests that will continue until Johnston is released. It added the strike is also to protest the general lawlessness that has targeted journalists and other civilians.

The Palestinian authorities said Johnston, 44, was kidnapped by four unidentified assailants last week in the center of Gaza as he was heading home from work. The BBC said Monday that one week after he went missing, it now seemed certain Johnston had been abducted and called for exerting more efforts to find him.

The authorities said Johnston's abduction is the tenth against journalists since 2004; all were eventually released unharmed. The majority of international news organizations had pulled their staff out of Gaza amid growing violence, crime and general lawlessness. Johnston was one of the few foreign journalists based in Gaza.