University of Missouri Protesters Clash With Reporters, Declare ‘No Media Safe Space’
The University of Missouri student protesters who demanded the resignation of university president Tim Wolfe were surprisingly adversarial toward the press Monday, setting up a “no media safe space” for protesters and harassing reporters who were trying to take photos.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch‘s sports writer Benjamin Hochman tweeted out images of protesters linking arms to create the “safe space,” and also tweeted out a video of protesters clashing with a reporter who presumably infringed upon the safe space.
The students at Mizzou have built a human shield to block reporters from interviewing peaceful protesters pic.twitter.com/YCZjuvIZDL
— Benjamin Hochman (@hochman) November 9, 2015
Just took this video of a confrontation involving a reporter and those blocking the protest area on Mizzou’s campus pic.twitter.com/cFhQmrRE0u — Benjamin Hochman (@hochman) November 9, 2015
“If you’re here to support the students then help keep the press out,” a woman just chanted pic.twitter.com/ogA2l5G2xc
— Benjamin Hochman (@hochman) November 9, 2015
Jack Witthaus from The Columbia Missourian also tweeted an image of protesters “bullying” a photographer trying to take a photo.
Media being bullied here. Told not to take pictures or video #ConceredStudent1950 pic.twitter.com/qJkHy1Dhf4
— Jack Witthaus (@JackWitthaus) November 9, 2015
The Missourian‘s Ellise Verheyen caught another emblematic moment in which protesters chanted that reporters “have to go.”
“Hey hey, ho ho, reporters have got to go.” @CoMissourian #ConcernedStudent1950 pic.twitter.com/5YD4Zcao1j
— Ellise Verheyen (@ellisenichol) November 9, 2015
[Image via screengrab/ Jack Witthaus]
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