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91Èȱ¬ holds rallies for Alan Johnston
More than a thousand people attended rallies across the 91Èȱ¬ today to highlight the plight of Alan Johnston, 91Èȱ¬ Gaza Correspondent.
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Alan was abducted in Gaza on 12 March. There has been an unsubstantiated claim that he has been killed and his family and colleagues are highly concerned for his safety.
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Since Alan's disappearance, gatherings have taken place every Monday afternoon at the 91Èȱ¬'s Television Centre and Bush House in London. These, together with events at other 91Èȱ¬ locations, took place again today at 2.15pm.
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At Television Centre, 91Èȱ¬ Director-General Mark Thompson addressed around 500 staff. Mark Byford, Deputy Director-General also spoke briefly. Among those gathered were Peter Horrocks, Head of TV News; news presenters Gavin Esler and George Alagiah; correspondent Gavin Hewitt; and Tim Davie, Director of Marketing Communication & Audiences.
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Richard Sambrook, Director, 91Èȱ¬ Global News, addressed a further 200 people at Bush House. Among the crowd of journalists and staff from all 33 language services were the World Service Director Nigel Chapman; Editor World Service News & Current Affairs Liliane Landor; and Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen.
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In Glasgow, Scotland controller Ken MacQuarrie addressed around 100 staff and there was also further activity in Aberdeen, Orkney and Inverness.
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In Cardiff about 80 people attended another rally. The speakers were Menna Richards, Controller, 91Èȱ¬ Wales, and 91Èȱ¬ journalist Wyre Davies, a friend of Alan's.
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Andrew Colman, Head of News & Current Affairs in 91Èȱ¬ Northern Ireland, spoke to another 70 people in Belfast.
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Elsewhere around 200 people gathered outside the 91Èȱ¬'s offices in Manchester to hear from Tamsin O'Brien, Head of Regional & Local Programmes.
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Local radio stations in the area also showed their support – staff in 91Èȱ¬ Radio Lancashire gathered in their Open Centre and staff at 91Èȱ¬ Radio Merseyside stopped their activity for a moment of reflection.
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A further 50 people gathered for a rally in Newcastle and 91Èȱ¬ Birmingham and Bristol staff both held internal vigils in their newsrooms.
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There were also vigils in support of Alan in Beirut and Brussels. 91Èȱ¬ Beirut Correspondent Kim Ghattas addressed the vigil in Beirut while in Brussels 91Èȱ¬ Europe Correspondent Jonny Dymond read out a statement calling for Alan to be released safely.
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KR/91Èȱ¬ Press Office
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