Greece bans foreign media from covering Olympic torch ceremony

According to reports by CNN and Associated Press the Greek government will not allow foreign media to cover the Olympic torch's Acropolis leg. Eager to avoid a repeat of the protest by French journalists during the ceremony to mark the lighting of the flame the Greek government has sought to control what the rest of the world sees.

No mention was made of protests by Danish activist outside the IOC offices in Athens nor similiar protests in Thessaloniki, northern Greece. However the state run NET channel did briefly show club wielding police threatening Greek demonstrators who had attempted to unfurl a banner along the route of the Olympic flame in Athens.

In a petition signed by hundreds of Greek journalists the Greek government was accused of aligning itself with China's totalitarian regime and "participating in a festival of hypocrisy". Their angry response was prompted by what they saw as attempts by the Greek state run media to censor pro- Tibetan protests in Olympia.

See here for the full text of the press release.