Brasilia, Mar 27 (IANS): Female Brazilian sports reporters have come together to speak out about the sexual harassment they suffer in the course of their work, the media reported on Tuesday.

A campaign video with the slogan "Let her work" (#DeixaElaTrabalhar), includes footage of some women being kissed and groped during on-air broadcasts, reports the BBC.

The group of 52 reporters said they have been sent abusive messages and even rape threats online.

The video shows the reporters flinching as men force themselves on to them as they try to present news stories.

One man grabs a woman's face and pulls it towards him for a kiss after she asks him a question.

The clips were interspersed with shots of the defiant campaigners, staring at the camera, folding their arms and calling time on the behaviour.

"We just want to work in peace," says one. "We need respect," says another.

The video was first aired during a football match at Rio de Janeiro's 79,000-capacity Maracana stadium on Sunday.

Bibiana Bolson, from the EspnW sports network, told the BBC on Monday that the outpouring of support has already been huge, with thousands sharing the hashtag and video on social media.

Football players Zico and Gilberto Silva, and Basketball Hall of Fame star Hortencia Marcari were among those to have shared support for the movement.

Various football clubs have also backed it, along with the Brazilian Judo Confederation (CBJ) and the National Basketball League (LNB), according to the Globo news network.

On the day the campaign was launched, a man was arrested at a stadium in Porto Alegre after allegedly harassing Kelly Costa, a reporter from RBS TV.