On Wednesday 6 January, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol Building to protest the election results. In the incident, the rioters attacked journalists and destroyed equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Multiple journalists shared photos and videos of the attack on Twitter. NBC DC reporter Shomari Stone writes that the rioters shouted “the media is the enemy of the people,” which is something Trump would often say. “They destroy equipment and chased out reporters. I’ve never seen anything like this in my 20 year career,” Shomari writes.
BREAKING. Mob of Trump supporters swarm the media near the US Capitol. They yell what Trump frequently says, “the media is the enemy of the people.” They destroy equipment and chased out reporters. I’ve never seen anything like this in my 20 year career: @nbcwashington @MSNBC pic.twitter.com/3VLC07JQR2
— Shomari Stone (@shomaristone) January 6, 2021
According to PetaPixel, the destroyed gear belongs to Associated Press journalists. They were protected by barricades along with camera and lighting gear. However, the rioters breached the barricades and smashed the gear, forcing the journalists to flee. One of the Trump supporters smashed the gear with a flag pole, others trampled on it or smashed it against the ground.
Outside the Capitol, pro-Trump protesters are smashing cameras and other media equipment yelling “CNN sucks!”
One man took a wooden stick and bashed the pile of destroyed equipment.This stuff isn’t owned by CNN. They are destroying AP equipment. pic.twitter.com/NeIUUSuYaC
— Christal Hayes (@Journo_Christal) January 6, 2021
A bunch of Associated Press equipment had to be abandoned and a crowd is trashing it. "We are the news now!" a man yells. Looks like they're going to try to light it on fire. pic.twitter.com/3GPNcUlDeC
— Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) January 6, 2021
Crowd gathers around destroyed media equipment pic.twitter.com/l46vSGEwWa
— William Turton (@WilliamTurton) January 6, 2021
Replying to William Turton’s tweet, Peter Chan wrote: “I work in video production, these are cameramen, sound and crew, we are regular people making a living. These equipment cost thousands of dollars that’s destroyed and some of us are freelance and use our own equipment. We are not ‘the media’, we are working people.”
I work in video production, these are cameramen, sound and crew, we are regular people making a living. These equipment cost thousands of dollars that's destroyed and some of us are freelance and use our own equipment. we are not "the media", we are working people
— Peter Chan (@peterchanNYC) January 6, 2021
The US Capitol riots have been called “the worst security breach in U.S. history.” They have caused massive damage and caused five deaths so far. From Thursday until the time of writing this, 82 people have been arrested.
[via PetaPixel]
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