Journalists wore black badges during a silent protest before the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the busy Panposh Chowk here to protest against the attack of police on media.

The media persons of Steel city and Sundargarh staged an hour long dharna attracting attention of passers-by in the busy thoroughfare holding placards with their demands.

The scribes of Rourkela had been boycotting the state government's functions demanding action against four SOG jawans of Orissa police and an officer for 'manhandling and misbehaving" with the members of electronic media and lensmen on June 7 when they went to cover the detention of eight suspected Maoists at Bangamunda, about 20 km from here.

On Tuesday, the scribes submitted a memorandum to the additional district magistrate (ADM) Rourkela, addressed to Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik, demanding suspension of the police officials involved in the incident.