Palestinian police scuffled with journalists protesting the kidnapping of a BBC correspondent in front of the Hamas-control parliament in Gaza City on Tuesday.

At least a cameraman and a reporter were slightly injured when policemen used the butts of their guns to beat the journalists who tried to break into the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) during a parliamentary session.

About five weeks have passed since BBC's Alan Johnston, 44, disappeared in Gaza City on March 12.

Fayyed Abu Shamalla of the BBC Gaza bureau said they have not received any official word on the fate of Johnston since he went missing.

Johnston is believed to be kidnapped and so the British reporter became the longest-held foreigner in the history of Gaza kidnappings.

"Free Alan," shouted tens of journalists who marched from a solidarity tent towards the nearby parliament, calling on the PLC to "disband or resolve the issue."

They also questioned the credibility of a new plan by the Interior Ministry that aimed at restoring security in the Palestinian territories.

Following the repression of the journalists, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has put into effect an earlier decision of blackout on news related to the government, the parliament and the presidency.

The Journalist Protection Committee of the journalists' union asked reporters not to cover the Palestinian National Authority ( PNA) activities until the policemen brought to justice.

Source: Xinhua