A CNN crew was chased away by a violent mob Wednesday night while covering ongoing demonstrations in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, following the police shooting of Daunte Wright. Washington Examiner reporter Nic Rowan captured a heated exchange outside the suburban police department between the crew and protesters led by CNN correspondent Miguel Marquez. One of the crew insisted to the crowd that “it’s all peace.” Suddenly, a large water bottle struck a crew member in the head, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground. “A bottle of water knocked you out?” a man is heard mocking the journalist before cackling.
MAN URGES PRESS TO LEAVE MINNESOTA WITH EXPLETIVE-LACED RANT TO CNN REPORTER AMID BROOKLYN CENTER UNREST
While others at the scene called for a medic, the CNN crew member insisted he was “fine” after he got up. Marquez told one of the demonstrators that the crowd needed to “chill out.” “We’re from CNN. We’re reporters. We are covering what’s here,” Marquez said.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING VIDEO CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
Rowan, who documented the assault on the CNN journalist, told Fox News that demonstrators were urging reporters to cover the “peaceful protesters” in a different area instead of focusingon the hostility between the rioters and law enforcement, saying, “It’s not representative of Minneapolis and the community.” The Examiner reporter told Fox News that he was ordered by one person to “stop making Minneapolis look like Fallujah” and “like a war.” After the water bottle incident, a verbal exchange between the CNN crew and the protesters continued. Eventually, Rowan recounted, demonstrators began “shoving” the journalists.
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As Rowan documented, the CNN crew was chased away with the mob ordering them to “get the f— outta here” and hurling more objects at them. “We don’t want any trouble,” the crew member who was hit with the water bottle told the crowd with his hands in the air. The mob continued to throw objects at the crew’s car as they attempted to drive away.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING VIDEO CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
During rioting Monday night, a CNN crew was accosted by a man who urged them and the rest of the press to leave the city. Rowan said he also witnessed a rioter assault a Reuters journalist, knocking his equipment on the ground. Hours after the incident, Marquez tweeted, “My team and I are fine, and I appreciate your concern. I hope for equal justice under the law and will continue to report on this important story as it unfolds.” Neither Marquez nor CNN immediately responded to Fox News’ requests for comment.
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“What I think about this is, all the press and all the extras— y’all do make this worse!” the man exclaimed. “You think so?” CNN correspondent Sara Sidner asked. “Yeah,” the man said. “Y’all needs to get outta here with all that twistin’ up the media and s—, reals—.”
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING VIDEO CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
As Sidner attempted to give him a phone number, the man remained adamant about not wanting to reschedule his remarks. “Y’all just gonna edit out the s— that y’all don’t want,” the man said. “And then you’re gonna edit out some others—.” “We’re life!” Sidner stressed as the two of them were appearing on “Cuomo Prime Time.” “I don’t care if you’re living or not, get away from here with all that media s– that y’all doing,” the man told her. “Y’all doing the extras— for the backhand s— to make people crazier than what the f— they are.” Sidner invited the man to “watch” her crew as they approached the action, but he walked away.
