By Prince Moore
The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) has condemned the attack on a TVJ cameraman and a Gleaner reporter in Homestead, Spanish Town, St. Catherine on Tuesday.
The media personnel were at the school covering a protest by teachers.
The teachers were protesting a stone-throwing incident by a student at the school on Monday.
While seeking to capture footage, the TVJ cameraman was attacked by a man from the community who punched him.
The man also grabbed his camera, ripped the microphone cable and attempted to damage the equipment.
The attacker also tried to seize the mobile phone of the Gleaner correspondent.
PAJ President Milton Walker expressed outrage at the attack, calling the incident a "reprehensible act and display of thuggery".
He said the association remains resolute that members of the media must be allowed to conduct their duties "without any hindrance whatsoever from any quarter".
Mr. Walker also sought to remind the public that "journalists have a role to play in ensuring that our democracy is strengthened and that we keep a watch on all sectors of society", whether government or private.
The PAJ president called for the police to conduct a swift investigation into the incident and "take the appropriate actions against the individual involved".
