Journalists React to Attack on NBC Reporter by Apparent Antifa Protester in Charlottesville: ‘Totally Unacceptable’
Just a year after deadly violence erupted at a Charlottesville, VA white nationalist rally, reignited tensions in the same city led to an attack on an NBC News reporter, who was heckled by a protester as his camera was shoved away.
The incident happened Saturday night while correspondent Cal Perry, who was alongside the cameraman involved, covered a demonstration there. However, it appears the aggressor may have been a member of the anti-fascist group.
“Fuck you, snitch ass news bitch. Fuck you,” he shouted in a video of the incident tweeted by Perry. The curses can be heard just before the camera is smacked away.
“Fu** you, snitch ass news bitch. Fu** you”. #Charlotsville pic.twitter.com/JPl3480FUG
— Cal Perry (@CalNBC) August 12, 2018
Yeah. We’re getting a lot of this. Protesters trying to grab our camera. #Charlotsville https://t.co/xIWLXPdkLt
— Cal Perry (@CalNBC) August 12, 2018
Journalists including CNN’s Brian Stelter and Jake Tapper both responded with condemnations of the attack, calling it unacceptable. Stelter noted that he was told the rally was “almost exclusively Antifa at that point,” Tapper apparently not surprised.
Unacceptable behavior by a protester in C’Ville last night — violently swatting away a journalist’s camera — I asked @CalNBC for more info, and he deferred to his tweets, which described the protest as “almost exclusively Antifa at that point.” https://t.co/BJ2t5HGceZ
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) August 12, 2018
Totally unacceptable and not at all out of the norm for antifa https://t.co/LvqyZByugX
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) August 12, 2018
The anti fascists are attacking media outlets for reporting, which is definitely antithetical to fascism. https://t.co/Ob70brMG62
— Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) August 12, 2018
Perry also tweeted several other videos of protesters shouting, some at police who were out in large numbers patrolling the streets.
Ugly. #Charlottesville pic.twitter.com/VoeCTu59y1
— Cal Perry (@CalNBC) August 12, 2018
Getting ugly in #Charlottesville pic.twitter.com/WWZnexuzzm
— Cal Perry (@CalNBC) August 12, 2018
Protesters very aggressive with media. #Charlottesville pic.twitter.com/CSYNyvBbeG
— Cal Perry (@CalNBC) August 12, 2018
NBC News did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the attack involving its reporter.
[Image via screengrab]
