Summary
- Two 39-year-old men were arrested over the attack on a MEGA television crew in Siviri, Halkidiki.
- A 38-year-old man who has been identified is also included in the case file.
- The journalist reported damage to a microphone and mobile phone, as well as an attack on the camera operator.
- ESIEM-TH condemned the incident and highlighted the multiple threats journalists can face while working in crisis conditions.
Two men were arrested and another was identified following an attack on a MEGA journalist and camera operator while they were covering the wildfire in Siviri, Halkidiki.
The incident took place on the afternoon of Thursday, August 13, 2026, when journalist Maria Gougoutsa and a camera operator were in the area covering the wildfire. According to the reported account, a group of people threatened and insulted them, took a station microphone, damaged the journalist’s mobile phone and attacked the camera operator, while his camera also narrowly escaped being damaged.
The case is particularly relevant to people working in imaging and field reporting, because a crew already covering a dangerous event such as a major wildfire may also face additional risks from third parties. ESIEM-TH highlighted precisely this dual threat, noting that journalists working in crisis conditions can be endangered both by the event they are covering and by unlawful behaviour from individuals or groups.
Two 39-year-old men arrested, third man identified
Police officers from the Kassandra department arrested two 39-year-old Greek men. A case was filed against them for theft, unlawful violence, damage to property, threats and insults. A 38-year-old man whose identity has been established is also included in the case file. The two arrested men were due to be brought before the Halkidiki Public Prosecutor.
What the journalist reported
According to Maria Gougoutsa, the crew had moved to a location in the area to check the progress of the fire and determine whether anyone might be trapped. She said that people initially attempted to make them leave by claiming there were gas cylinders nearby and a risk of an explosion. Verbal abuse and physical violence reportedly followed.
The journalist also said that the station’s microphone and her mobile phone were damaged, while the camera operator was attacked after stepping in front of her. His camera narrowly avoided being damaged. The crew left the area and contacted the police.
ESIEM-TH condemns the attack
The Board of the Journalists’ Union of Macedonia and Thrace Daily Newspapers condemned the attack and expressed its support for Maria Gougoutsa and the media workers who covered the events.
Significantly, the union’s statement did not refer only to this particular crew. ESIEM-TH said journalists from other media outlets had also been harassed in the same area, broadening the issue beyond a single isolated incident.
Why the incident directly concerns camera operators and photojournalists
For a camera operator, an attack of this kind is not limited to the risk of physical injury. Cameras, lenses, microphones, mobile phones and, above all, recorded footage are part of the journalistic work itself. Damage or theft can interrupt coverage and result in the loss of material that may be impossible to recreate.
PTTL has previously covered a similar equipment-security issue. In 2023, a Univision Chicago camera operator was robbed at gunpoint while working on a news report, and a camera containing the crew’s recorded footage was stolen. The circumstances are different, but both cases demonstrate how vulnerable a field crew can become when working with visible and expensive equipment.
Wildfire coverage involves two layers of risk
Photographers and camera operators covering wildfires already work in an environment where conditions can change rapidly. Smoke, visibility, wind, moving emergency vehicles and possible evacuations all require constant situational awareness.
The Siviri incident shows that the human factor can be added to that equation. For news organisations and independent creators covering events in the field, this reinforces the need to treat personal safety, communication with the rest of the team and protection of recorded material as part of the production itself rather than as secondary considerations. ESIEM-TH’s warning about the multiple risks facing media workers points in the same direction.
What we think
An attack on a crew working in an active wildfire area cannot be viewed merely as another case of damaged equipment. The camera operator and journalist are there to document an event of public interest, and violently obstructing their work directly affects the public’s ability to be informed. The arrests are significant, but the incident also serves as a reminder of how important meaningful protection is for those working with cameras on the front line of a crisis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the attack on the MEGA crew take place?
The incident took place in Siviri, Halkidiki, on August 13, 2026, while the crew was covering the wildfire in the area.
Who was arrested?
Police arrested two 39-year-old men, while a 38-year-old man whose identity has been established is also included in the case file.
What equipment damage was reported?
According to the journalist, a microphone was taken or damaged, her mobile phone was damaged, and the camera operator’s camera narrowly avoided being destroyed.
What did ESIEM-TH say?
The union condemned the attack and stressed that journalists covering crisis situations can be threatened both by the conditions of the event itself and by aggressive or unlawful behaviour from third parties.
