Guest post by Kristinn Taylor
A Ferguson, Missouri protesters walks with a homemade Molotov cocktail during the looting Friday night.
Looting and rioting broke out again in Ferguson, Missouri in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
In an on scene LiveStream video report by Vice News reporter Tim Pool, masked looters could be heard menacing independent video reporters—ordering them to back off from filming the looting.
Another reporter witnessed looters threatening reporters with Molotov Cocktails.
There were reports that news crews from CNN and Al Jazeera America were threatened by looters.
Unlike the collective media storm over the brief detention by Ferguson police of two reporters a few nights back, there was no outcry from the media of Hamas-like treatment by the Ferguson looters.
The New York Times mentioned the threats to reporters at the very end of a long article on Ferguson published Saturday:
“Some journalists covering the event reported being threatened overnight by protesters who thought they might be undercover police officers. In one instance, young men wearing dark bandannas repeatedly struck the windows of a car, ordering a journalist from a church parking lot.”
To his credit, Politico’s Byron Tau reporting from Ferguson live-tweeted the threats:
“Protestor holding a Molotov cocktail now threatening the media.”
Protestor holding a Molotov cocktail now threatening the media.
— Byron Tau (@ByronTau) August 16, 2014
“Aggressively threatening the media.”
Aggressively threatening the media.
— Byron Tau (@ByronTau) August 16, 2014
“Masked protester holding a Molotov cocktail approached and threatened at least two female reporters.”
Masked protester holding a Molotov cocktail approached and threatened at least two female reporters.
— Byron Tau (@ByronTau) August 16, 2014
“Protestors are now threatening reporters with violence for recording.”
Protestors are now threatening reporters with violence for recording.
— Byron Tau (@ByronTau) August 16, 2014
“Massive looting at the store where Michael Brown was accused of stealing. Media have been repeatedly threatened while recording.”
Massive looting at the store where Michael Brown was accused of stealing. Media have been repeatedly threatened while recording.
— Byron Tau (@ByronTau) August 16, 2014
During Thursday’s ‘peaceful’ Ferguson protest, a videographer for KMBC from Kansas City was attacked by a protester according to KMBC reporter Eli Rosenberg.
Beating reporters, threatening reporters with Molotov Cocktails, ordering them to not cover their protest activities… imagine the outrage by the media and political elites if this were done by Tea Party activists.