Riots have rocked the Arab world for weeks now, and attacks on Western journalists reporting from the midst of the fray have been rampant.
Reporting from Bahrain's Pearl Square in the capital city of Manama today, ABC News Correspondent Miguel Marquez suffered a beating with billy clubs while on the phone with his New York office. According to ABC, a "gang of thugs" pulled Marquez's camera from his hands as he struggled to break free, shouting "Journalist! Journalist!" in an effort to prove he wasn't a protester.
ABC News reports:
"Hey! I'm a journalist here!" he yelled. " I'm going! I'm going! I'm going! I'm going! ... I'm hit," he said. "I just got beat rather badly by a gang of thugs. I'm now in a marketplace near our hotel where people are cowering in buildings." He paused. "I mean, these people are not screwing around. They're going to clear that square, tonight, ahead of any protest, on Friday. The government clearly does not want this to get any bigger."
Inspired by Egypt's revolution, protests have shaken Bahrain for three days now as thousands across the tiny island kingdom demand major political reforms. Hear an audio report capturing Marquez's attack below.
LISTEN: